Home Improvement projects are a great way to increase the value of your home. Especially if you are getting ready to sell your home. 

Granted, some remodeling projects can cost a fortune and take a lot of time to complete. Major projects like, finishing an unfinished basement or building an addition to your home are costly undertakings that can require months to complete. Fortunately, there are smaller home improvement projects that still add value but requiring less time and money to complete. 

Exterior improvements generally bring a higher return on investment than interior improvements. So, it makes sense to start with exterior upgrades.

Landscaping

This is one of the easiest ways to make your home stand out from others. There are many landscaping projects you can do like, planting trees and grass, building outdoor spaces like wooden decks or patios. These projects provide a good return on the money spent on them. For instance, if you spend $10,000 installing a wooden deck or patio, you could recover over $9,000 which is a healthy return for a home improvement project. Outdoor landscaping projects also give you a good place to relax when you want to spend some time outside.

Improve Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is really important when you're trying to sell a house. Improvements here go a long way in helping you sell your home for top dollar. Remember you never get a second chance to make a first impression and curb appeal is the real estate version of a first impression. Look over your front lawn make sure it's green, healthy and free of weeds leaves and brown spots. You can even add a little color without creating a full-blown garden by simply adding window boxes or planters full of flowers. You may also redo your driveway and get a driveway sealcoating service.

Upgrade the Front Door

One of the best ways to make your home look new is by adding a new door. You can choose one of the modern wooden door designs or a steel design. Just make sure that the material you choose is a high-quality one that will be appealing to most buyers. Steel doors are great because they provide additional security to the property. Wooden doors on the other hand also look great and should be used with other security measures such as alarm systems. Installing a door to your property will allow you to recover over 90% of the cost when selling which makes it a good project.

Replacing the Garage Door

The garage is one of the areas in a home that most buyers are interested in. This makes the garage door very important in boosting the resale value of the home. By installing a new garage door, you'll be making your home more attractive and as such, improving the chances of selling it faster. It is also one of the projects that can allow you to recover all your money. 

Upgrading windows

This is one of the best home improvements to increase the value of the home. It is also one of the most expensive updates as far as home improvement is concerned. The type of windows you choose will determine the value and as such, the amount you get back. For instance, if you install modern double lane windows or tinted windows you'll be able to get a higher value because of their ability to save energy. Do some research and find out what most buyers are looking for in windows then install those to get an upper hand.

Make the Home Smarter

Smart Home technology is a great and affordable way to upgrade your home. More and more, home buyers, are considering smart home technology as a must-have. Examples include smart sprinklers, smart thermostats, smart smoke detectors, and smart locks. Most of the smart home features increase convenience for the homeowner, enhance safety as well as security which makes them very valuable. You'll be able to recover the cost you spend on the installation.

Flooring

If you have old floors you can easily change them to new ones that are more attractive. Most people ignore flooring but bad floors tend to lower the price of a home. Flooring materials and options come in a wide range of options and prices. Here are some of the flooring types buyers are really attracted to. A visit to a flooring store or even the local home improvement store will really get you excited about the options available.

Minor Kitchen Upgrades

You don’t have to change the entire kitchen to make it better. You can change a few areas like the cabinets, or even paint the walls differently and get new modern kitchen appliances to get an increase in value. Changing the counter-tops is another idea that will not cost as much as changing the entire kitchen. You'll be able to recover at least 80% of your money when you're done.

Minor Bathroom Updates

For most people buying a home is a long term investment which means that they may be looking for a home that they can raise a family in or grow old in. Having a bathroom that improves convenience and safety is, therefore, a great way to increase home value. Make changes here that will appeal to the handicapped by installing things like sidebars and lowering your switches. These will also appeal to those with your children and get you a higher value.

Conclusion

When considering the best home improvements to increase the value of the home, you should first find out what drives up home values in your specific area. This is something a Realtor can help you, especially realtors that work with buyers. These Realtors know what buyers are looking for and more importantly what they value.

Additionally, make sure the improvements convey a sense of quality. You can certainly make these improvements yourself if you have the skillset for this kind of work, many don't. If this isn't something you want to undertake yourself, look for a reliable professional. once again a realtor can help prefer dependable contractors for these types of projects. Either way, it's important that the quality of the improvements is apparent. If the quality of the work is shoddy or unprofessional, you may end up having to redo these improvements and that is counterproductive, so make sure you do it right the first time.