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George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces

10 Home Improvement & Remodeling Ideas that Increase Home Value

Anderson measures demand based on searches for home improvement service projects on Porch.com. In the last three months, the company has tracked 330 million U.S. Google searches for home improvement work — that’s up almost 50% from the same period last year. Gardening is the type of home improvement up the most, but the projects range all over the home, inside and out. Americans have been forced to use their houses more — and differently.

  • The paint all over the house was peeling and there were wood panels on …
  • First, you’ll pay off your existing mortgage, and then you can use the excess funds to make repairs or upgrades that increase your home’s value.
  • Eric also consults with national brands on product design and industry trends, with companies such as Baldwin Hardware, Kraft Maid Cabinetry, and many more.
  • If you have an unfinished basement, you might have room for storage, but you’re missing out on livable space for future buyers to enjoy — whether as a home office or space for entertaining.

You’ll get a new loan with an updated interest rate, and your payment will change to reflect the change in your loan. Lenders typically require you to maintain 15 – 20% equity in your home after a cash-out refinance. This can limit the amount you can access for House & Home Improvement home improvements. The minimum amount of equity you’ll need to leave in your home when you refinance varies by loan type and by lender. If you want to take cash out with a conventional loan, you’ll typically need to leave at least 15 – 20% equity in your home.

If you decide to take out a personal loan, be sure to shop around and consider as many lenders as possible to find the right loan for you. Credible makes this easy — you can compare prequalified rates from all of our partner lenders in the table below in just a few minutes. The reason a mortgage is one of the cheapest ways to borrow money is that your home secures the loan. If you overextend yourself with a cash-out refi and can’t keep up with the new payments, you risk losing your home.

“Using extra-large format porcelain tiles instead of marble slabs is a very popular trend that’s also practical,” says designer Anne Hepfer. Do your research, figure out what sells well where you live, and go from there. Conversely, a simple improvement that is inexpensive and requires a minimum of effort but will give you back 100 per cent is definitely worth it. Revolutionary exterior wall coatings solutions specially formulated to reflect the sun’s heat and reduce energy bills.

If you can’t afford an extension or conversion, it might be worth obtaining planning permission to do so at a later date. In some areas of the country, the ability to park close to your front door comes at a huge premium and therefore, if you have the room to add off-street parking, you are sure to increase value. These women have taken D.I.Y. and home repair by storm and are rated by our Home Matters professionals as the top 5 favorite female home improvement bloggers.

Christmas Lights & Decorations

Tune in to this weeks mid-week special and find out my tips to keeping it clean and healthy. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed on the podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Around the House Show. When determining which areas of your yard to attend to first, try approaching the house from the curb to the front door. “Buyers make their decisions in exactly eight seconds,” says Barbara Corcoran, founder of the Corcoran Group, a Manhattan real estate firm.

simple ways to add curb appeal to your home

Closing the damper when the fireplace is not in use will help keep cold out of your home and add to heating efficiency. Having your fireplace and chimney professionally cleaned will also improve fireplace efficiency. One of the most noticeable lifestyle changes after the pandemic is the want to spend more time outdoors. As further proof of this trend, the American Institute of Architect’s 2021 survey showed that demand for outdoor spaces rose from 61% to 71% among respondents.

Understandably, she strives to control as many aspects of the project as possible. “If you want something done right, you do it yourself,” she remarks, after a set of kitchen cabinets turns out too short due to a measuring error on the part of a contractor. When she sources vintage pieces at a furniture restorer’s workshop, the exchange largely consists of her telling the craftsman what she wants. Workers only fleetingly appear in the usual construction montages. This overlooking of tradespeople is certainly not unique to Victoria’s show—it’s only the latest manifestation of a pattern that has come to define home-renovation TV as a whole.

There are various energy efficiency schemes and grants available. The main scheme is a home energy efficiency scheme known as the Energy Company Obligation , provided by the government. For more information about a landlord’s responsibility to do repairs, see Repairs in rented housing.