We’ve covered maximizing property values in regards to smart gate technology before. However, there are multiple ways a family or individual can look to increase the value of their home. For a start, most homes are different. There are steps you can take to increase the value of your home which others won’t be able to do, and the same the other way around. It means you need to apply the advice you read to your home in a bespoke way. We’ve put this guide together to give you some ideas.
Improve Access Control
People want to feel secure, and they’ll pay a premium to do so. If they’re buying a house which is already secure it means they won’t have to make many expensive adjustments to it once they’ve moved it. It also means you can sell the home for more. Access control starts from the perimeter and moves its way inwards. For a start, consider gate access control. Are you using a smart gate and can you install one to better protect the perimeter of the home? This might be pretty tough for you to do depending on the style of your home and what the layout looks like. Some prefer to gate the whole community in line with their HOA rather than focus on the individual unit. After you’ve looked at the gate you can move on to:
- An alarm system
- Better quality locks
- A smart bell system (such as the ever popular Ring)
Good security adds to the value of a home, but the additional value can also depend on location and area specifics, such as crime rate. Make sure your home is suitable before you invest.
Consider Extending
Extending is the go to method to increase the value of the home. Some will add to the outdoor space, depending on the weather you get, while others will extend the actual house so that there are more rooms with a larger internal living space. This might not be applicable if you don’t have the space to extend into, but if you do, it’s worth thinking about. Remember, you don’t necessarily have to extend into space. A lot of homeowners are extending upwards into loft space instead.
Extensions probably cost the most in terms of things which can help home value increase, but they also give you an immediate boost in your quality of life. You can enjoy the extension for many years before you finally decide to sell.
High Tech Fixtures And Fittings
In today’s world it’s no surprise that home buyers want modern fixtures and fittings, and are willing to pay more to get them. If you outfit your home with modern trappings it’ll go up in value. Think about the internet of things. Maybe you want to install a central heating system which can be controlled from your phone. You can’t take this with you when you move in most cases so the new buyers will appreciate not having to get it installed. As above, a cellular smart gate is another great example of modern high tech fittings. Other aspects of modern fittings can include:
- Smart plugs
- Cellular gate entry system
- USB plugs
- Smart Alarm system
- Smart lighting system (to control with phone)
- Remote monitoring system
Those are just a few you can think about installing and they certainly sound a lot more appealing to new time buyers.
Electric Charge Port
Electric cars are the future. There are more and more on the roads all of the time so it makes sense to build an electric car charging port. If you own an electric car, you’ll already have one. If you don’t, chances are you’ll have one in the near future. Building one will certainly raise your overall home value. If you twin this with a cellular smart gate you’ll be further enhancing the home’s vehicular appeal. In some places you can even get government help for installing an external charge port for your cars. These schemes won’t last forever either so it’s worth checking them out. Make sure you don’t just go with the first provider you find, compare costs to ensure your money goes as far as possible.
The Bathroom and Kitchen
They’re the two places in the house where fixtures and fittings can be upgraded and changed out. In Zonda Media’s cost vs Value report, they found that a renovated kitchen can add up to $100,000 to a home’s value while a bathroom can add up to $50,000. The price depends on the quality of materials used, the fixtures and fittings and how old the kitchen was previously. For example, if the kitchen is brand new and perfect, replacing it with another brand new and perfect kitchen won’t add much value. The same goes for the bathroom but on a lesser scale. There are a myriad of ways you can add value to a kitchen and bathroom ranging from a total remodel, right down to replacing the faucets.
Go Green
Green energy is coming to the fore as more and more people pay attention to global warming and climate change. If you can change elements of your home so that they’re more appealing to those who care about climate change (which increases everyday) you could increase the value of your home while knowing you’ve done something good. What you can do depends on where you live and how your home is laid out, but some of the more common ways to go green are:
- Cavity Wall Insulation
- Loft insulation
- Install solar panels on the roof
- Use and install a heat induction system
There are a wide amount of green implementations you can use to make your home more appealing and better for the environment, while at the same time, raising the value of your home.
Update Your Water Heater
Old water heaters aren’t efficient. They effectively bleed energy, forcing you to pay more to heat your home. It’s bad for the environment, and it’s bad for your bank balance. By buying a new boiler you’re not only buying a more efficient heating system, but peace of mind. Doing so will easily add to the value of your home too because boilers are usually part of the survey or valuation aspect and if you’ve got a good one, with good central heating, it can only send the valuation one way. They can be expensive, but the cost is worth it.
Make It Safe
First, check the smoke alarms. You should have them in the home. If you’ve got them connected to the electricity, with no need to remove them and check the batteries then great, even better. Then check the carbon monoxide alarms. You should have one of these in every room where there’s a fossil fuel burning appliance. These may not raise the value by a ton, but they’ll make the home far more appealing. Other aspects of safety include access control like mentioned above, including smart gate technology. You should also check for any pests like termites or nests in the garden. These can significantly lower the value of your home. Most individuals, especially those with families, will put safety at the top of their list so paying some attention to home safety can lend your home a level up in terms of appeal.
Update Your Garden
Depending on what you do, changes to the garden can make the home indefinitely more appealing. For a start, simply cleaning it up and planting some nice flowers will go a long way in building a better first impression. For those important value multipliers, consider installing sheds, patios and if you’ve got the space another building which can be as an office or something similar. It depends on the space. If you’re going to be building an extension, you’re not going to want to build an outhouse; it just doesn’t really make sense. With that said, as gardens are usually fairly easy to clean up, changes to it don’t add as much value to the house as the other aspects above.
You can make all kinds of different changes to your home to raise its value and make it look more appealing. If you were wondering about smart gates in particular there’s much more information on our blog. You can also check the testimonials and see how useful people have found them, or contact us if you want bespoke information.
