Investing into your Greater Lafayette, IN home is a major and wise move. If the improvements you make multiple your return on investment (ROI), you’re in great shape to resell when you choose to do so. Making the right choices are key, and we’re here to help you with just that! Here are a few pointers from our team to help you begin the home improvement process!
Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is a possible buyer’s first impression. As a home owner, it’s always a good idea to make the outside show its full potential, and here are a few different ways to give your home all its got!
- Repaint or touch up exterior
- According to HGTV, this has a ROI of 95%. “A gallon of paint covers 400 sq. ft. of house.. For an updated look, remove old awnings from windows and doors.. Swap damaged wrought-iron railings for real wood supports for a more inviting entry. Give a bare, charmless porch a dramatic makeover by adding a pergola and columns.”
- Replace garage door.
- Update lighting, mailbox, and house numbers.
- Put in a fire pit, deck, or even some hardscape for an outdoor kitchen.
- Simple landscaping.
- Also according to HGTV, landscaping updates have an average ROI of 100%, and the in world of home improvement, it can be on the low end of the price scale. The key is to keep it simple! If shrubs are blocking doors and walkways, trim them back! Ask the employees at Bennett’s Greenhouse about complementary landscaping.
Open up the Floor Plan
An NAHB‘s survey shows that 85% of buys want an open layout between the kitchen and dining room; 79% favor an open arrangement between the family room and the kitchen, and 70% like an open layout between the family room and the dining room.
The stats don’t lie, but we do recommend consulting a contractor before swinging any sledgehammers! “The NAHB points out that a home still needs structural support and definition between spaces. (Plus, some architecture styles, such as a two-story or Colonial house, aren’t agreeable to this change.)” If your home allows for it though, we recommend opening up the kitchen/living room/dining areas.
Finished basement
Basement remodels can be both small and large. Basic improvements to a dry basement, such as carpet, drywall, and light fixtures, can go a long way. HGTV says that the average ROI for a basement remodel is 93%, extending your home’s overall finished square footage and enhancing a potential buyer’s interest by giving the house more room to move around.
Here are a few pointers from HGTV:
“Remember when finishing walls, you should keep your drywall panels a half-inch away from concrete floors, so they don’t absorb moisture. Always fix flooding problems first. Add French drains, bigger gutters or re-slope the yard to keep water out. Test to make sure the fixes work before investing time or materials in a basement… Cover concrete floors with an easy-to-install modular subfloor so floors won’t be cold. Add carpet squares with a traction backing for an amazing transformation.”
Upgrade your Kitchen and/or Bathroom
Kitchen and bathroom upgrades both, according to Better Homes and Gardens, offer around an average of 55% ROI. (Minor, cosmetic improvements can look more like 94% ROI!) Since these are places that we spend a lot of our lives, it’s worth refreshing these major areas. Here are just 3 simple things in each room to get you started!
- Kitchen
- replace fixtures, knobs
- refresh paint on walls and cabinets
- upgrade appliances and outlets
- Bathrooms
- tiled, accessible, walk in showers
- new light fixtures &
- efficient toilet
Add an Addition
Simply put, more square footage equals more to offer. Maybe your home is in the position to revamp the basement, and that’ll add to you numbers. Potentially, you have an attic space that allows you to expand in to that area. Or maybe you’re in the position to completely add an area onto the house, and this is just the “go ahead” that you need to go for it! Whatever you position is, here’s your sign to get ‘er done.
For up-to-date information on YOUR Indiana area neighborhood or a FREE Seller Consultation – call The Romanski Group at (765) 293.9300. Using an experienced team is the way to get your home SOLD! You deserve the BEST Realtor in the Lafayette Indiana area!
