10 DIY Projects That Can Raise the Value of Your Home

Any home has a significant potential for profit to the owner. The higher it's value, the more you will make from selling or renting the property. Condos, duplexes, apartments, and single-family homes are all in high demand with the potential for a rewarding sale or rental agreement. Home value is often determined by a combination of feature quality and total aesthetics. Even a few small improvements can make a big difference in your final selling cost or the amount you can ask in monthly rent. This can equate thousands in one-time or annual income from the property itself.

For many  homeowners, the best investment in home value is the type you can do for yourself. You may be handy, enjoy DIY projects, and have the skills needed to improve your home's value with hands-on work. If so, then the next step is to choose the right products for the greatest home value improvement.  You want to balance your budget, time, and the potential to increase your home's final value with each DIY project you take on. Let's explore ten of the best DIY projects for raising the value of your home, condo, or apartment building.

1 Install New Crown Molding and Baseboards

Everyone repaints their walls when preparing to sell or rent a house, but nothing makes your interior look fresher than a new set of molding. Molding is the strips of wood or synthetic painted material that line the edge of your walls where they connect to the floor and ceiling. Molding serves two purposes. The first is to aesthetically hide the seam between interior structure surfaces. The second is to provide a seal to prevent air and dust leaks between the interior and in-between spaces of the home.

Baseboards see the most abuse, often being kicked and scuffed as a regular part of life. Baseboards protect the wall and sometimes rise high enough to be considered wainscoting. Because they get scuffed, fresh baseboards always make a house look newer and more pristine. 

Home crown molding is often stylized, and the styles subtly date the house. Along with removing the popcorn from the ceiling, replacing the crown molding is both an easy and elegant way to update your space.

2 Update the Light Fixtures & Add Ceiling Fans

Many homes were built decades ago with not enough light fixtures, some didn't have any at all during the original construction. Bring the light into your home and modernize the space with new light fixtures.

Many homeowners are DIY-handy enough to replace existing light fixtures with modern fixtures and LED bulbs. Look to increase illumination and style in one go. If necessary, cut new fixture locations and install new lighting locations to help brighten up an under-lit home.

While you're working on the lights, don't forget ceiling fans. Installing or updating ceiling fans in the home is both stylish and energy-efficient. Energy-efficiency is a known factor in the value of a home both on the market and month-to-month for future residents.

3 Install New Weather-Stripping Around Doors & Windows

Another great way to improve energy-efficiency is with weather-stripping. You can significantly increase the temperature-retention of a home by replacing old weather stripping and adding weather strips where there were none before. On every exterior door and window, remove the existing weather stripping and apply or install new weather stripping to each outward-facing aperture. 

Indoors, a few door sweeps can also significantly decrease your internal drafts and chills throughout the house, and increase the total perception of the construction quality.

4 Affix Sleek Window Treatments

Window treatments (blinds and curtains) have always been a debate among those preparing a home for sale or rent. While the next residents will do what they like with the windows, today's window treatments can shape the impression, charm, and function of our home while it is on the market. Most DIY homeowners find that sleek in-window blinds are the best choice for two reasons.

The first reason is to make rooms look larger and control direct sunlight when showing the home. The second reason (especially renting the house) is to install blinds that the next residents will leave in place as a practical decision, whether or not they install more bulky draperies mounted just above the window itself.

5 Steam-Clean the Carpets

If your home has carpets in good shape, then the best DIY approach is to give them a good deep-cleaning. This can fully refresh and re-fluff your carpets so they look for best when the home is on the market. Rent a steam cleaner for the day and go over each carpet 3-5 times slowly.

You'll know you're done when your carpets look amazing and the steam-cleaner extracted water looks mostly clear.

6 Replace Carpets with Laminate Wood Floor

Of course, right now hard floors are more popular than carpets - especially for shared rooms where the most activity takes place. Hard floors tend to be sturdier, longer-lasting, and easier to clean up messes. Ripping out carpet is something anyone can DIY. If you don't have hidden treasure flooring underneath (old hardwood or tile), then replace the carpet with laminate wood boards.

Laminate boards are compressed wood coated in a sturdy polymer sealant. They are all the appearance and texture of hardwood but are much more scratch and moisture resistant. Plus, they come in panels that click together easily like puzzle pieces for simple DIY installation.

7 New Tile in the Kitchen and Bathroom

If your home or condo's tile is chipped or, worse, garishly outdated then it's time for an upgrade. With a little care and a firm hand, you can scrape out the old tile from the bathroom or kitchen design, smooth the space, and then grout in new tile for beautiful back-splashes, showers, sinks, and even mosaic countertops. Bring modern style and beautiful tile choices to your home design to boost its value.

8 Install New Plumbing Fixtures & Cabinet Knobs

The fixtures often show the age - or modernity - of a home's design. Faucets with flaking finishes and yellowing plastic cabinet knobs are common in homes built or remodeled over a decade in the past. You can often completely renew the feel of a home by . Plumbing fixtures like faucets and shower heads, and water control knobs can all be replaced to create a whole-new impression of your plumbed areas. Cabinet handles and pulls can also be updated to give your bathroom and kitchen a new design look.

9 Repaint the Walls and Cabinetry

Everyone repaints a home to improve its performance on the market, but it's important to do this after you finish all other indoor upgrades. Fresh paint is like icing on the cake, and you want to keep that paint pristine for photos, tours, and new residents moving into your house or condo. If you're planning to renovate, then wait on the repaint until your DIY home improvements are done.

Then, when it's time, go all-out. Find a beautiful neutral color palette for the interior and a welcoming accent for the cabinetry. Many overlook repainting the cabinetry, but this is the best way to transform the look and feel of the kitchen.

10 Power-Wash the Pavements

Last but not least, rent a power-washer for the day and aim it at your home pavement. Wash the driveway, the front walk, the back patio, and even the sidewalk in front of the house. The power-washer shoots extremely high-velocity water which can blast years of ground-in dirt making pavement look shiny and new. Just be careful not to point the power-washer at living things like plants, pets, and other people.

Be careful about washing the home siding, as not all siding responds well to power washing pressure. Older and historic homes with wooden siding or aging bricks should never have the power-washer turned toward the house, while more modern vinyl siding can more likely be power-washed along with the pavement for a quick pristine look.

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Are you looking to boost the value of your home, condo, or apartment building through DIY projects and other smart investments? We would love to help. Contact us today for more home value insights and the light fixtures that will make your improved design complete.