DIY Home Projects that Can Boost the Value
Best DIY Home Projects
Boosting your home’s value is always a good idea. Your home is probably your biggest investment. Whether you’re considering listing your home on the market and moving into a different property or you just want to increase your home’s value, you may assume that you need to hire a team of professionals to come in and remodel the space.
However, that doesn’t have to be the case at all. There are plenty of affordable DIY home renovations that most people are fully equipped to tackle on their own.
DIY home projects don’t only help you increase your home’s value. They also allow you to experience a great sense of accomplishment when you take a step back and look at something that you did with your own hands.
There’s also a misconception that any type of home renovation project involves spending a ton of money on special tools and other supplies, but that’s just not true. Today, learn more about some DIY home renovations that can increase your home’s value without breaking the bank.
Upgrading the Heart of the Home
If you’re wondering how to increase your home’s value, start with the kitchen. Whether you’re selling your home or just want to invest in the overall value of the property, your kitchen is a great place to start.
It’s been said that the kitchen is the heart of the home, and that’s certainly true when someone wants to make an offer on your home.
A total kitchen makeover, which typically involves employing carpenters, plumbers, and electricians, can cost upwards of $20,000. That’s not in the budget for many homeowners, but there are some affordable DIY projects that have been proven to have a good return on investment.
According to Zillow, one of the leading names in online real estate, painting your upper and lower kitchen cabinets with contrasting colors has the potential to increase your home’s value by $1,000.
Since you won’t need to buy anything other than some paint and supplies, the return on investment is great. If you want to spend a few extra dollars while totally upgrading the space, find some different knobs and hinges for the doors.
Depending on the age of your home, you may also have wallpaper in your kitchen. There was a time when wallpaper was considered the norm when it came to home décor, but that’s not the case anymore.
If you’re willing to put in the work, removing your wallpaper and repainting the room (more on that DIY project in a moment) is a great investment.
There’s one other area of your kitchen that you can upgrade on your own. In the past, backsplashes behind your sink and stove were made of individual tiles that required specialized saws, skill in tile placement, and a lot of patience. That’s not the case now.
Today, you can find sheets of peel-and-stick backsplash that look just like tile. These sheets can immediately upgrade the look of your kitchen and require little to no effort to install.
Paint Your Walls
While you’re taking down the old wallpaper in your kitchen, go ahead and remove it from any other parts of your home.
Most homes that were built before 2000 have wallpaper in multiple rooms, but modern homebuyers consider it as one of their least-favorite features in a home. Most people prefer paint. However, wallpaper isn’t the only reason to consider painting your walls.
If you’ve lived in your home for a while, you’ve probably taken some creative liberties to make it your own. If you’re someone who loves bright, bold colors, you may have put some of those shades on your walls to help you find more joy in your home.
It’s completely normal for people to use some bold colors in their homes, especially in guest bathrooms, laundry rooms, or spaces that have been converted to home offices.
However, those bold colors could be seen as a detriment to your home’s value. Right now, neutral, earthy colors are considered “trendy,” which means that’s what potential buyers are looking for. Don’t think of painting your walls a neutral color as a means of stifling your creative spirit.
Instead, view it as an investment in the value of your home.
While you have your fresh paint, roller, brushes, and tape handy, consider putting a fresh coat on the outside of your home. Repainting your doors and shutters is a great way to increase your home’s value by boosting curb appeal.
According to Opendoor, repainting the inside of your home provides a 107% return on investment while sprucing up the outside with a fresh coat of paint on doors and shutters provides a return on investment of 55%.
Upgrade Fixtures and Outlets
There are some parts of your home that you probably ignore. It’s not that you’re a negligent homeowner, but certain components like electrical outlets and fixtures don’t draw a lot of attention after you see them every day for years.
Please keep in mind that you shouldn’t replace outdated electrical receptacles on your own if you don’t have training with electricity. However, changing the plates that surround those plugins and your light switches is an easy task that any homeowner with a set of screwdrivers can complete on their own.
While these upgrades probably won’t net you thousands of dollars in home value, they can add to the overall upgraded feel that you’re going for in your home.
While you’re at it, check your doorknobs and door handles on the doors inside your home, and your entryways. Over time, doorknobs and handles go through a lot of wear and tear, they get scratched by keys, and can even work themselves loose due to overuse.
Again, replacing these fixtures doesn’t require any type of specialized tool, making it a great DIY home project. In most cases, a four-way screwdriver can be used to remove your old doorknobs and put new ones on.
Upgrade Your Lawn
No matter how large or small your yard is, you can take some steps to make it a more appealing, inviting space. DIY home projects on the outside of your home are great because you can find something that you can do, regardless of your skill level.
Even if you don’t consider yourself handy, you can buy some mulch and some lawn chairs and create a cozy sitting area around a firepit. If you have a green thumb, you can create a beautiful area in your yard where you grow different types of plants. The options are virtually limitless.
You can also determine how much you want to spend upgrading the outside of your home, which means you can go as affordable or as expensive as you’re comfortable with.
As long as you’re not getting in over your head, upgrading your home’s exterior is a fun, rewarding investment that provides great ROI.
Change Your Light Fixtures
Finally, upgrading your light fixtures is a great way to make your home look more high-end. However, this is another example of a DIY home renovation project that you should handle with some caution.
If you don’t have training in working with electricity, you shouldn’t try to upgrade any type of light fixture that involves you rewiring something.
For instance, don’t try to change a chandelier to a more modern-looking piece.
However, if any of your light fixtures have a globe or another type of covering over them, these are easily replaceable by any homeowner with a screwdriver.
Look for light fixtures that match the overall design aesthetic of your entire home, but don’t be afraid to make your light fixture a statement piece, either.
Pick Your DIY Home Projects
Your leap into the world of DIY home renovation projects is an exciting opportunity for you to learn more about your own skills and abilities.
Unless you’re in a hurry to sell your home, don’t feel like you need to get everything done at once. Instead, ease yourself into your projects and work at a pace that allows you to tap into your creative side without causing any unnecessary stress.