•

Your home is your castle. To keep it looking and feeling that way, occasional home improvements can update and beautify it.

They can also add to its value, which becomes most important if you should want to sell your home.

Here, we'll focus on those improvements that add the most value for the money you invest.

Sprucing Up the Exterior

"We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us.”

-Sir Winston Churchill

Your Home’s First Impression

• The exterior is important because it’s the first thing visitors to your home see. As they say, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

• The condition of your home on the outside can show that your home has been loved and well cared for (or not!).

• Keeping your home’s exterior neat and clean can be one of the wisest home improvements you can make.

Curb Appeal

Sweep away leaves and cobwebs

monthly.

Use your hose to wash down your

house. A pressure washer can damage

loose paint and make it look worse.

Clean window frames and windows at least

twice a year.

Re-paint if necessary.Beautify the look with

some simple landscaping.

Remember to maintain porches,

driveways, and walkways.

Exterior Painting

With exterior paint, quality matters in terms of how easily the paint goes on and how long

the house's surface retains a fresh

appearance.

Spray your house down to wash off dirt a day or two before you paint and allow to dry

completely.

Avoid painting anything outdoors if

it's damp outside. Paint and water don’t mix well.

Simple Landscaping

• Mow regularly, water deeply once a week in the growing season, and keep it weed-free.

Attend to your grass.

• Consider planting at least 2 or 3 trees to provide shade and aesthetic value.

Trees

• A few bushes can spruce up the look as well – especially flowering bushes.

Bushes

• Add some flowers. Perennials come back every year, so you don’t have to buy more each year. Pick a color scheme to unify the design. Blooming flowers draw the attention of buyers and enhance curb appeal.

Flowers

Porches, Driveway, and Walkways

Keep the porch swept and uncluttered. Mop occasionally. Paint it a

color that complements the house and decorate with a seating area and

a few plants.

For driveways and walkways, a pressure

washer does wonders! Clean them every 3

months.

Edge your driveways and walkways whenever you mow your grass to keep grass and other

plants from encroaching and making them look

unkempt.

Updating the Interior

"Home is where the heart is.” -Pliny The Elder

Remodeling The Kitchen

The kitchen is the single most important room in the house. A clean, modern kitchen increases your enjoyment of your home and enhances your home

in the minds of prospective buyers.

Experts agree that you should get back 85% of what you spend in added value to your house when

you update your kitchen.

For the greatest appeal, keep the paint fresh and clean and arrange your kitchen so it looks as

spacious as possible.

Updating Your Kitchen – Details

Cabinets may just need

cleaning and polishing

Sink – replace it if it’s damaged.

Vinegar will loosen water deposits and

make it sparkle

Countertops – replace if damaged

Install a backsplash.

Tile adds to the value

Appliances – update them

with new styles

Tile floors. Tile, linoleum, and vinyl tile are

best.Linoleum is the least expensive.

Lighting – think bright and airy

Spread Out The Cost

• Although well worth it, updating your kitchen can be time consuming and expensive. However, it’s easy to make this a project that you can complete one bit at a time.

• For example: one month you might paint the walls, and another month install a backsplash. One year you could buy a stove and another year put down some new flooring.

• Each improvement will bring you more enjoyment and increase the value of your home.

Bathrooms

Cabinets

• Check for mold and replace if necessary. You could even do away with the cabinet and opt for an airy, modern look with no cabinet at all!

Sink

• Modern styles abound, including sinks that are stylish glass bowls.

Counterto

p

• A new countertop can transform the bathroom with a totally new look.

Fixtures

• Update to new faucets and showerhead.

Tub

• You can resurface porcelain and fiberglass tubs if replacement is too costly.

Tub Wall

• Consider installing tile on the wall around the tub.

Interior Lighting Makeover

Shop for deals – save 50% or more on clearance items.

Walk through every room with pencil and paper in hand, jotting down where you’d like to make changes.

You can also set a mood or bring out a dramatic focal point with lighting.

Lighting makes a big difference. Most people prefer as much natural light as possible.

Insulation Re-Do

Improving the insulation in your home is an eco-friendly home improvement. Extra

insulation conserves gas and electricity and home buyers like that!

Have 2 or 3 experts check your insulation. Many will

give you a free consultation to come up with an estimate of

how much you need and what it will cost.

Get written estimates before you choose a contractor.

Home Improvements Just for You

"You are a king by your own fireside, as much as any monarch in his throne."

-Miguel de Cervantes

Only For Your Own Enjoyment

Some home improvements are for your own enjoyment. These improvements, although nice, might not enable you to

recoup your investment by adding significant value to your home.

Complete remodels where you tear out rooms and replace everything usually

fall into this category due to their large expense.

Unless your house is in Florida and California, most buyers don't want

to spend the money or time for the constant maintenance of an

in-ground swimming pool.

Home renovations enhance the enjoyment of your home, while also adding to it’s value.

To keep the costs manageable, make home improvement an ongoing project,

doing a little at a time.

We hope you enjoyed your Special Report!

Curtis Roese is an experienced professional with extensive experience in personal finance and small business matters. Curtis writes and publishes articles, courses, guides and special reports on his personal finance blog.

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