Remodeling and renovating your home can not only make it more comfortable, functional and beautiful — if done right, it can also help increase its resale value. Some upgrades can add significant value to your space, while others might actually make your home harder to sell, so we got the lowdown from Keianna Rae Harrison-Williams, lead interior designer and remodeling team principal of HER Home Design LLC and HER Home Design BUILD LLC, to find out what projects are — and aren’t — worth the investment.
WHAT TO DO:
1. IMPROVE YOUR FLOORING
According to the 2022 Remodeling Impact Report from the National Association of REALTORS Research Group, refinishing existing hardwood flooring can recoup up to 147 percent of your investment, and installing new flooring can recoup up to 118 percent. “Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring is all the rage right now. It’s a solid choice for most spaces in a home. But all LVP is NOT created equal. If you are in the market for new flooring, HER Home Design Boutique is the perfect place to find it — at affordable prices. Our trained designers can help you select the best LVP product choice for your home,” Harrison-Williams said.
2. GIVE YOUR CURRENT KITCHEN SOME FLAIR
“Many prospective homebuyers are looking for modern, updated kitchens, so even making small but thoughtful changes to your kitchen can have an impact,” said Harrison-Williams. If you don’t want to plan on a full kitchen remodel, consider alternatives such as painting your cabinetry with the correct cabinet paint, switching out your cabinet drawer pulls with updated versions or having a new tile backsplash installed.
3. BOOST THE BATHROOMS
Like in the kitchen, cosmetic changes such as installing new fixtures, brightening the room with paint or adding a modern-looking mirror can help transform the look of a dated bathroom.
4. REARRANGE YOUR FURNITURE
Simply moving your existing furniture around can have an enormous impact on the flow and usability of a room, and it can also help make your space more attractive to potential buyers. If you’re thinking about selling, you might also want to consider staging your home before you put it on the market — and HER Home Design should be your first stop for home staging. “We are certified stagers, and staging is a game changer for selling homes,” Harrison-Williams said.
5. ELEVATE CURB APPEAL
First impressions matter, so enhancing your home’s curb appeal is always a smart idea. “When selling a home you have eight seconds to make a first impression when a buyer opens your front door,” Harrison-Williams advised, so it’s also important to make both the outside of your home and the entryway look as appealing as possible. This can be accomplished in part by doing simple things such as sweeping your porch or adding a planter of flowers to each side of the front door. “Installing a new front door with a bit of glass in it is another way to instantly improve your home’s appearance,” Harrison-Williams said.
6. CHANGE THE PAINT OR ADD WALL TEXTURE
Wall color in a home is a quick and easy way to make a major impact on the way your spaces look and feel. A fresh coat of paint in a new hue does wonders for adding value and style to a home. Love the color you have? How about adding an accent wall in a coordinating color or adding texture with wallpaper or slats? These inexpensive, simple changes really pack a punch in home updates.
7. REVAMP THE ATTIC OR BASEMENT
Building an addition on to your home can be a significant investment of time and money. “If you don’t want to tackle adding on to your home, consider renovating part of your existing space,” Harrison-Williams said. You can reimagine your attic as a loft or convert an unfinished basement into a home office or hangout room.
WHAT TO SKIP:
1. OVER-THE-TOP LUXURY UPGRADES
While you might love the look of luxe marble flooring, quality mid-range upgrades usually have better resale value than the highest-quality finishes — unless you are in an extremely high-end home.
2. GARAGE CONVERSIONS
Converting your garage to add additional square footage to your home might sound like a good idea, but most buyers want a garage, so this usually isn’t an ideal expenditure.”
Whatever you choose to do, or not do, to your home, the professionals at HER Home Design can be a valuable resource every step of the way. “We can help you decorate your home or complete a remodel, and when you’re ready to move on, we’ll stage it, sell it and start all over with you again,” Harrison-Williams said.
Stephanie Groves is an Indy Maven editorial board member and contributor who needs all the home design help that she can get.
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