Home Improvements To Enrich Your Life & Property Value

So, the time has come, and you've realized that your home isn't quite working for you anymore and that the dwelling you once loved has fallen out of favor or is no longer fit for purpose. Sadly, this is a common reality for many people across the country.

With interest rates falling, making mortgages more enticing for those looking to move on, not everyone wants to move home. In fact, over 70% of Americans recently surveyed by Zillow for their Zillow Housing Aspirations Report would instead invest money in home upgrades than pay to move home and relocate.

While further reports indicate that the home renovation sector will experience a lull in 2025, there is no shortage of people who are looking to make impactful modifications to their homes that can increase their quality of life and offer them a stunning home purposely designed for their current lifestyle.

If you're considering investing in your home and redesigning your living space to create a fresh yet familiar space that makes your heart happy when you arrive home each day, read on for some ways you can give your building its spark back or even create a whole new spark and add fresh energy back into its bones.

Home Addition

If you prioritize the space you need and the ability to stretch your wings without leaving the safety of your nest, then you need a home addition to increase indoor livable space and valuable square footage.

Now, when looking at how much value a home addition can add to your property, it's important to remember that it's relative. The work you carry out, the quality of the finish, the design process, the size of your home, the use of the space, and the area you live in will determine exactly how much more money you can expect to add to the property's value.

However, one report suggests you could increase the value by 30% for every 1,000 square feet you add to your home, while an older 2023 report indicates you could be able to recoup 50 to 60% of your investment upon resale. However, many factors will influence the final number.

But the point of home additions isn't simply to inflate the value of the property. It's primarily a way to expand your living quarters and give you more room to use and grow into or expand into. You can use your extra space to add an extra room to your home. Maybe you need an additional bedroom, office space, gym, or bathroom. You can add a single or double-story addition that extends both floors of your home, or you can use it to extend an existing room like a kitchen or dining space. The use of the space is entirely up to you, as well as zoning laws and HOA rules pertaining to the changing of the structure. It's always best to check what permissions you need or what restrictions are in place before setting your heart on a certain type of addition in case you're unable to move forward.

Kitchen Remodels

We all know the kitchen is the heart of the home and the one place besides the bathroom that is used the most. So it makes sense that if you have funds to sink into your home, you know they'll be well spent in the kitchen.

Did you know that minor kitchen upgrades can yield a greater return than significant renovations? A survey by Remodelling JLC found that small remodels can return up to 77% of the cost of the work involved, while major renovations can only return just over 58%.

This means that if you don't need to rip everything out and start again, you probably shouldn't. However, if the kitchen is due for an upgrade and redesign, don't hesitate to go for quality kitchen remodeling.

When redesigning your kitchen, you want to assess how the space works for you as a family and how you navigate it in conjunction with the rest of the property. While modern kitchens are more attractive to potential buyers than anything else, they must be functional. And with the average cost of kitchen remodels anywhere from $14,000 to $50,000, depending on the scope of the project and work required, it's important that you don't waste your dollars wondering what buyers might be looking for.

Do you need to reconfigure the layout? What about ripping out and updating the cabinetry, or can you get away with replacing the doors? Will changing the fittings suffice, or do you need to start all over again to modernize the features and add your own stamp to the space?

Look at what you need and then what you want, and marry these together to design the kitchen of your dreams, which will improve your home.

Wooden Flooring

Anyone who's been on social media in recent years will know the power of a good home remodeling or renovation account. You will be all too familiar with the changing trends in home design (goodbye grey and covered-up original features) and know exactly what people want and are looking for. One trend that doesn't seem to be fading in popularity is wooden flooring.

Whether you're a voracious devourer of home improvement or property shows or not, you can't deny the absolute beauty of wooden flooring, specifically hardwood flooring. If you're on the fence about what you want to invest in or where your money will be best spent (outside urgent remedial works for a safe and functional home, of course), then turning your gaze downwards and to the flooring can give you a great investment opportunity.

Now, value-wise, hardwood flooring is thought to increase property values by around 2.5% (other reports suggest this sum could be in the ballpark of $6,500 on to the value) a smaller boost compared to other projects mentioned. It's not a massive improvement, but it's still a financial adjustment to the value. On top of this, more and more buyers are looking for homes with high-quality hardwood flooring if that's something you're considering meaning your home will automatically be more attractive if it hits the market.

A great alternative is LVP or luxury vinyl planks, which cost around $3 to $10 per square foot. They are a more durable option than hardwood floors and ideal for homes where the floors cannot be refinished or revived or where you want an alternative option.

Attic and Basement Conversions

If you're lucky enough to have one or both of these, then the areas above and below your general living spaces could have untapped potential for your home. They give you a way to make adaptations for your home without making the property bigger; you're simply using the space you already have. For instance, you could convert your attic into a cozy guest room or a home office, or transform your basement into a recreational area or a home gym.

Again, you need to check for permits or regulations, building codes, and restrictions regarding the renovation of your attic or basement, but if you get the green light to make changes, then there are so many possibilities.

If you have the space, creating a primary suite in the attic complete with walk-in closet space and en suite could be an option. Alternatively, converting the top of your home into a playroom, office, gym, study, etc., can help you use the space while freeing up space in the rest of the house for other purposes.

The same goes for the basement. Except you have so many more options. It could be a laundry room, teenage hangout, gym, workspace, storage area, additional living room, or cinema room. The possibilities are plentiful and should be determined by your needs and wants for your home.

Crunching the numbers to determine where best to invest looks like this: basement remodels can add up to 80% to the value of your home, while an attic conversion adds up to 75% (again, dependent on many of the factors discussed in the above points). This means that if you spend $50,000 on an attic remodel, you can expect to recoup up to $37,500 if you sell it.

The scope of the work, the quality of the finish, and the standards will determine the value for resale; however, imagine how amazing it would be to have dedicated space, something like your own bathroom that the kids don't use, a home gym, or even room to store all of your pet supplies in for your furry family members. A space to hang out and chill as a family, man cave, sports room, or gaming section above or below your house can dramatically increase your quality of life, meaning that it doesn't matter how much of the cost you recoup, you get so much more from your investment.

There we go, some of the best home renovation tasks you can take on if you want to invest your money in your current home rather than moving. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list; ultimately, what you spend your money on will depend on your lifestyle, family, current home, and needs. But these ideas are designed to illustrate the possibilities as well as the potential returns as you can make positive changes that benefit you now and should you decide to sell in the future.