It’s unlikely that there’ll be no bigger investment in your life than the one you make in your home. It takes time to save up the money for the deposit, and then there’ll be the money aspect needed for your monthly mortgage payments and to make the home feel like yours. But at least this cash isn’t considered “dead money” — if you manage your home correctly, then you’ll ensure that you maintain and grow your home’s value. Below, we take a look at a few tried and tested ways that you can do this.
Stay on Top of Maintenance
The work of a homeowner is never complete, is what they should say. No matter the standard of your home, there’ll always be jobs here and there cropping up. In order to maintain your home’s value, you’ll want to learn the basics of DIY so that you can handle these issues as and when they arrive. Individually, these matters might not seem like all that much to concern yourself with. But if you have many small maintenance issues, then you’ve got one large problem, and that will negatively affect the overall quality of your home — and thus the value. Just make a habit of fixing problems when they pop up. Much easier!
Regular Upgrades
Of course, maintenance can only take you so far. You could keep your home in tip-top condition, but if the decor and infrastructure are outdated, then you’ll have issues. If you’re going to maintain and improve your home’s value, then you’ll have to invest in your property. From time to time, you’ll want to look at upgrading various aspects of your home. Changing the decor, furniture, or even just touching up the paint if you still like the style will help to push your home in the right direction. Plus, it’ll make the home more enjoyable to live in, too.
Handle Unexpected Issues
It’s all good and well handling those small DIY matters that naturally occur through wear and tear. But sometimes, you could face a bigger threat to your home’s value. As a homeowner, it’s always wise to be prepared for the unexpected, because if you’re a homeowner long enough, then they will happen. You could find that you have foundation issues, or a severe storm could result in water damage. It’s usually these big issues that reduce a home’s value, rather than anything else, so make sure you’re taking care of them as soon as possible. If you don’t have the savings to fix them, then work with a company that offers loans without guarantors. It’ll allow you to take care of the issue, and then pay back the money over time.
Contribute to the Community
We tend to think of the home’s value as being dependent entirely on the condition of the property, the decor, and so on. But actually, while those things are, of course, important, there’s a whole other side of the value that’s just as important: the location. You could have a mansion, but if it was located in a desert, then it wouldn’t be worth anywhere near as much as it was in a nice community. And here’s the thing about communities that people need to remember: we can have a greater influence on our neighbourhood than we commonly realise. If the community is doing well, then it’s more likely that your family will be doing well, and your home’s value, too. So get involved, and make it a nice place to live. Unless you live in a big city, it’s not all that difficult to make a positive difference — host events, talk to people and promote all that’s good about the town.
Focus on Kerb Appeal
People are usually pretty good at staying on top of the interior of their home. They do, after all, see it everyday, and it plays a starring role in how comfortable and happy they are in their home. The front of their home doesn’t get quite as much attention, yet it’s the first thing that potential buyers see when they visit the property and has a big influence on how the property is valued. If this part of your home is something that you’ve historically overlooked, then perhaps now is the time to take action. It’s not as if you need to go all out to bring it up to standard. A few plants, a fence, and a painted front door would be enough to push it in the right direction.
And The Yard Space
If that takes care of the front of the home, then what about the back? It’s always worth remembering that people look at all aspects of a home, not just the areas you want them to focus on. If you’ve made the interior of your house look the part, then don’t undo all your good work by having a garden that is substandard. The good news is that getting your yard into shape is not hardworking, and indeed, can be a lot of fun. If you add a patio, outdoor garden furniture, and have a few plants, then you’ll be on your way to having a yard that gets people’s attention for all the right reasons.
Avoid Smoking
Your home could look fantastic in photos, and yet people might be put off from the moment they walk through the front door. Why? Because you’ve been smoking indoors. On top of the health effects of smoking, you need to keep the impact it’ll have on your home in mind, too. It can seep into the walls and carpet, and give your home a permanent second-hand smoke smell, which is not appealing. So if you’re going to smoke, do so outside. You can take things even further by actively gifting your home pleasant aromas. Those lovely fragrances won’t just make your home more pleasant to live in — it’ll make it more attractive to buyers, too.
Avoid Those Flashy Colours
You’ll want to stamp your personality on your home. Indeed, that’s part of the fun of owning your own property. You’re no longer renting, so now you can do what you want. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that too much personality can be a bad thing. You might think that it’s better to have a slide instead of stairs, but most people won’t — and that’ll knock some value of the price. OK, that’s an extreme example — a more likely scenario is that you include colours that are a little too “out there.” Try to keep things relatively neutral. People want to see what the home could be like if they moved in, and they’ll be unable to do that if your personality is overshadowing everything.
Get Rid of Unwanted Guests
You’ll want to ensure that everyone that’s living at your property was invited to do so. This isn’t always the case. In certain areas of the country, there’s a risk of having unwanted creatures and pests calling your property home. As soon as you notice that they’re there, call the professionals, and get rid of them. It’s a problem that would understandably compromise the quality and value of your home.
Avoid Clutter Issues
As we mentioned above, potential buyers want to see the potential when they look at your home. If your home is filled with clutter, then that can’t happen. There are other issues with clutter, too — it makes it more likely that there’ll be damp issues, for instance. Keep things minimalist — it will better for your happiness, too!
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