Is home improvement worth the cost and effort?

Posted on May 18, 2012

Is home improvement worth the cost and effort?  How do you decide what home improvement projects to tackle?

Many homeowners have a wish list of projects they need or want to complete on their home.  How do you decide what projects to undertake?  How far should you go with each project and how much should you spend?  These are very important questions to consider as you start the planning process as the investments you make in improving your home will not only bring you pleasure now, but may reward you later if you decide to sell your home.

When planning your home improvement projects, you need to first consider what you want to do and why you want to do it:

• Will the home improvement project increase the value of your home? 
• If you do not tackle the project, would it hurt the resale value of your home?
• Do you want to improve your quality of life?

Our homes are our sanctuaries, our prized possessions, the places where we go to feel our best, relax, spend time with family and friends, and simply be.  Spending the time and money to maintain our homes is increasingly important, and there are a few home improvement projects that have been shown to actually increase the value of your home.  Adding a second bathroom or ½ bath has been shown to make a home more appealing to potential buyers, as does finishing your basement.  If no major structural work is needed on your home’s exterior, home painting is the most cost-effective approach to changing the appearance of a home, and can also increase your home’s value.  Also, painting some interior rooms can dramatically alter the look and feel of a room, and can simply “freshen up” the look of your home.  The painting and staining experts at College Pro Painters, www.collegepro.com, can tackle most interior and exterior painting projects across Canada and the Northern US states.  In the southern US states, we recommend you contact CertaPro Painters for your painting needs.  Another project that can actually increase the value of your home is adding a deck.

There are also some projects that you, as a homeowner, must tackle if you hope to gain as much value for your home; not tacking these projects has been shown to actually hurt the resale value of home.  If a potential homeowner finds out that the roof has damaged shingles or needs to be replaced, your home’s resale value is impacted.  Another project that should not be overlooked is replacing any old, damaged or stained carpeting or flooring.  A home could be spotless, but if there are stains all over the carpeting, potential buyers have a very different perspective and can be left with a very bad feeling about the home.  We recommend you contact the experts at Floor Coverings International to discuss any flooring solutions you may be considering for your home improvement projects.

Lastly, there are some projects you want to consider that simply will improve your quality of life.  There is no real “need” for projects of this nature, other than they make you feel better.  In my opinion, these projects are sometimes the most fulfilling ones!  A project that may fall into this category is adding a sunroom.  While this project does not add value to your home, or help or hurt your resale value, it makes you feel better because you have a quiet, relaxing space in your home, where you can simply be.  Another great project to undertake that can help you feel better about your home is organizing your closets.  A company that specializes in creating custom closet storage solutions is California Closets.  There is no better feeling than when your home is clutter-free and you can easily find everything in your closets!

Before you choose which projects to undertake this year, be sure to really think through what you want to do, and why you want to do it.  As we describe above, some projects are more necessary than others depending on what needs you want to satisfy.