When it comes to home renovations and DIY projects, there are countless ways you can choose to improve and customize your home. However, these options can vary broadly in terms of how much they change the overall feel of your house. Given the time and money often associated with large-scale home remodels, it is therefore important you choose one where you will truly enjoy or benefit from the end result. In addition, if you ever intend on selling your home, it is worth considering how much return on your investment you will get on any home improvements in terms of resale value. Here are a number of worthwhile additions you can make to your home.
Installing Solar Panels
Energy bills are one of the largest monthly expenses associated with owning a property. If you live in a particularly warm or sunny climate, you may then seriously consider adding solar panels to your house. Upon their installation, you can rely on solar panels for a large proportion of your electricity and heating needs. This addition to your home can therefore end up slashing your energy bills in the long run. Batteries for storing solar power are now also commercially available, meaning you can retain the energy generated by your panels for less sunny days. Solar panels are also a renewable, clean source of energy, meaning that installing them on your house can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. As a result of this, while the upfront costs of installation can be costly, many governments are willing to subsidize the process.
Insulation and Double Glazing
Aside from installing solar panels, there are other additions you can make to your home which will increase the energy efficiency of your home, thereby saving you substantial money on your bills. One of these is the installation of attic insulation, if your home does not already have it. Another similar option is the replacement of your current windows with double glazed ones. Both of these improvements will dramatically increase the heat retention of your property, saving you a significant amount on your heating bill. Double glazed windows also improve your home’s heat loss by up to 30%, thereby reducing your reliance on air conditioning in the summer months. Because of the amount of carbon emissions produced by central heating, both insulation and double glazing are also worthwhile additions from an environmental perspective.
Bathroom Air Vent
Poor air quality is one of the things that can most negatively affect the quality of life in a property. This is normally caused by a lack of ventilation in homes, which leads to the build up of moisture. This can then result in the outbreak of black mould in your house, which can not only ruin the look of your home, but also lead to the development of health issues. This can be removed manually, but the most effective way to permanently rectify this issue with your home is to install an air vent in your bathroom. The reason the vent should be placed in a bathroom is because this is where the most moisture is found in your house.
Attic / Basement Conversions
Additional living space is always highly appealing, as well as one of the major reasons why people switch houses. In this respect, then, attic and basement conversions can be a more cost-effective alternative to upsizing your home. Depending on the size and nature of the space, such a conversion can be used for an extra bedroom for guests, a workspace, or a play area for children. The cost of converting an attic or basement can vary to a great extent depending on the original state of the space, but they are also likely to be cheaper than any extension which requires building from scratch. Another major benefit of attic and basement conversions in comparison to extensions is that they do not affect the overall size of your property, meaning your property taxes will not increase as a result of the renovation.
Outdoor Decking
If you are looking to increase the living space of your property, without committing to the cost associated with a basement or attic conversion, you may consider building an outdoor deck for your home. A smart deck can allow you to take advantage of the outdoor space surrounding your home, and also costs a fraction of the price of other large-scale property additions. In addition, they are also one of the projects which offers the most return on your investment when reselling a property. One analysis argues that a well-made deck can recoup up to 80% of the cost of construction. This is markedly higher than many other remodels, as kitchen, bathroom, and attic renovations tend to return only around 60%. However, for a deck to offer this return on investment, it is important that the deck is properly constructed and maintained.
Porch to Sunroom Renovations
Sunrooms are a popular addition to properties, but they can also be highly expensive. In fact, the average cost of a four-season sunroom is estimated to be around a whopping $45,000. If you already have a porch, however, you can convert it into a sunroom for a fraction of this cost, while also adding a highly valuable space to your home. Taking this approach means that the foundation of your sunroom is already in place, allowing you to potentially complete this job for under $10,000.
New Closets
For a small-scale addition to your home, consider adding an extra closet to your property. This can go a long way to reducing the clutter in your home by expanding your storage options. Adding a new closet is also one of the cheapest ways you can add another room to your home, since all it often requires is the building of one or two additional walls. Alternately, you can opt for a “bump out” closet, which slightly juts out from the rest of your house, if you would prefer to go for something more elaborate.
