There are many reasons why people in the UK decide to carry out home improvements. Firstly, we all want to make the best of our homes - which are essentially our sanctuaries where we can take time out from the stresses and hassles of the outside world and instead we can relax and kick back with our loved ones. Home improvements can really improve the quality of life for those living in the property and can make a huge difference to your enjoyment of the time that you spend in the home.
Another reason that many people carry out home improvements is to prepare for the sale of the home in the future. Even though you may not be thinking of selling just yet, if there is a chance that you might sell your home some time in the future you can enjoy adding to the value of your home through carrying out the right home improvements, as well as making the property more attractive to others and therefore improving saleability.
Improve the value of your home with the right home improvements
One of the reasons why people carry out home improvements is to increase the value of their home, and there are a number of home improvements that can add value and can actually bump up the value of your home quite considerably. Ten popular home improvements that can help to improve the value of your home include:
- Fitting a conservatory
- Loft conversion
- Adding central heating
- Having double glazed windows fitted
- Extending the driveway
- Getting a more modern, refitted kitchen fitted
- Making use of cellar or basement in older properties (e.g. turning it into a games room)
- Having an ensuite bathroom fitted
- Remodelling of the bathroom
- Having an extension to your home
Improve appearance and saleability of your home
The home improvements listed above are all very practical improvements that can help to add value to your home. However, often, when people come to view your home they tend to focus on the aesthetics as well, which means that you want to make your home look attractive. There are a number of improvements that can help to make your home more eye-catching and can therefore improve saleability. This includes:
- Landscaping the garden and front lawn areas
- Having wooden or laminate flooring fitted in main areas
- Having new drapes, blinds, and curtains to fir in with each room
- Repainting of walls or re-papering where applicable
- Ensuring that the light fixtures in each room match any theme or the decor in the room
- Using lighter colours for your walls and ensuring that you have neutral furnishings in place wherever possible
What sort of improvements will not add value and saleability to the home?
Of course, there are some home improvements that may not add anything in terms of saleability or value, and therefore you may want to think carefully with regards to the type of home improvements you wish to carry out in order to best benefit you in the future. Some of the home improvements that may not really add when it comes to value and saleability include:
- Adding the wrong windows: If you have an older home, adding vinyl replacement windows will look out of place and could actually reduce the value and saleability of the home
- Making unnecessary improvements: If you already have benefits such as two bathrooms in your home don’t bother adding a third unless it is for personal satisfaction, as this is unlikely to add any more to the value of your home
- Re-flooring on a budget: Avoid cheap flooring, as this can really put people off when they see chips and cracks in the laminate
- Bungling the job: Unless you are confident with DIY jobs DO NOT attempt to do them yourself. You may save some money in the short term, but you will not only waste a lot of your own time but could also knock thousands off the price of your property not to mention putting off potential buyers. If in doubt, call in professionals - you can get some very good deals from reputable and experienced contractors if you hunt around or ask friends/family for recommendations.
Getting a loan for your home improvements
Of course, no matter what type of home improvements you plan to carry out you will first need to have the cash to fund your project. For most people this means a loan. It is important when you are considering home improvements to consider whether they will add value to your home, and whether they will allow you to at least recoup the cost of making the improvements (i.e. whether the increased value of your home will at least cover the amount that you borrow to carry out the improvements).
You can get some very good deals on home improvement loans these days, which means that you can carry out the desired improvements and get the desired effect without having to deal with extortionate monthly repayments and interest rates. To compare a range of affordable, great value home improvement loans you can simply go to our home improvement loans comparison page.
Show me all loans for... home improvements
 Back to latest features
Back to features archive
| 
