Why are your neighbours putting up those outdoor blinds Melbourne locals are also raving about? Isn’t it a waste of money? And isn’t it unnecessary to manage your outdoor lights from your smartphone?
Absolutely not!
The motivations behind property upgrades are vast and we’ll show you simple ways to start doing it in your home.
Reasons to Upgrade Your Home
Of course, you can keep your home as is, but not considering upgrades while you’re a homeowner can be unfavourable in the long run. Consider the following:
- Certain upgrades make your home eco-friendlier.
- Some alterations lead to savings in water and power usage.
- You need to consider how people will view your home when you sell one day—resale value is something to manage on a continual basis.
- Don’t you want a more convenient, luxurious living environment?
Good news is, you can manage all these aspects without spending a fortune!
Changes that are Worth Spending a Bit of Money and Effort
When you’re changing your home, of course a main goal is to make it more enjoyable and practical for you to live in. However, also consider future buyers—because you may not live in that space forever—and ensure the changes you bring will also be valuable to others.
In most scenarios, the following will lead to you enjoying your life more at home AND it will help you get offers on the table when you’re trying to sell.
Permanent Blinds
Some people stick to using curtains but those in the know have discovered the value of modern blinds. Especially with something like custom outdoor blinds you can make your home more convenient and as a permanent fixture it will be a selling point to buyers.
Consider these options:
- Modern blinds can be used to turn a patio into an entirely new room to utilise, no matter the weather.
- You can get protection from harmful UV rays, keeping yourself and your furniture safe.
- Motorised blinds that have no ropes are safer options than many other window coverings, which is good news for households with small children.
More Lighting
If you can, do consider installing a skylight or an additional window so you can flood the interior with more natural light. Of course, this is a more extreme change, so if you’re looking for simple solutions, consider these creative ideas:
- Install more overhead lighting in areas where you tend to always squint as soon as you enter.
- Cut away some foliage to allow some more natural light through the window.
Why focus on lights? Because having more light makes a room more practical and inviting. You may realise there’s a corner you can turn into the perfect home office, instead of needing to add an entire new room. And you can turn the dark and dingy lounge into your new favourite family gathering area simply by making it lighter.
A New Front Door
In today’s society it’s better for everyone to swap out your outdated wooden door for a new steel and glass type. For yourself, you’ll appreciate the increased security and this doesn’t require much structural changes. In terms of the property value, any item that looks modern and increases how secure the home is, will be a great selling point.
New Windows
If you have the capital, also consider replacing old windows. Here, we suggest you look for a vendor that can install windows with double glazing.
For yourself, you’ll appreciate the aesthetics but also the way in which this type of window helps you cut down on energy costs. It’s much easier to control interior temperatures, so you’ll use your AC a lot less.
And what about future buyers? You can definitely increase your asking price after you add new windows because they will give your home an overall finished and quality look. Also, it’s one replacement the new owners won’t have to do themselves, so they’ll be happy to pay a bit extra if it saves them effort.
Smart Home Features
Turning your home into a smart home doesn’t have to be a big task. Best of all is you can make small changes at a time, as your budget allows:
- Use smart bulbs
- Upgrade your security system to be controlled from your phone
- Change to smart switches for lighting, garage doors and more
- Automate features like your AC and gates
- Install a doorbell with audio and video features, connected to your smart device
Eventually, the system you create by installing smart features will be of immense value to you—such a convenient lifestyle!—but also a potential buyer. Feeling like they’re buying a house of the future will give them peace of mind they’re getting a bargain.
Tip: if you’re not currently thinking of selling yet, this is a good plan for the long-term. By the time you do sell, chances are that most homes will have these types of features, so rather get in on the action now.
Conclusion
For any of these plans you will need to spend some capital. But compared to major renovations, they’re stress-free plans and you’ll love the added convenience and improved look of your space.
Once selling time comes around, enjoy the many offers you’ll get!
