Whether you are looking to sell up your property in the near future or to just raise the overall value to help you out long term it can prove to be a very expensive venture. Sometimes the money which is spent on making specific alterations to a house will actually cost you more than the extra value which is added to your property. Obviously, this is a poor return on investment and excluding unforeseeable spikes in the housing market which are out of your control you need to do everything you can to carefully balance your expenditure against the expected return. So if you are planning to spend some cash on your property what are some of the best things you can do?

Front Door

Usually the first thing any prospective buyer or real estate agent will see when they visit a property is, unsurprisingly, the front door. First impressions count for a lot in life and the same applies to your home. It is said that a lot of buyers will make a decision on purchasing a house within a few seconds of entering so if your front door is not looking the part you may really struggle to sell. Simple things such as a door bell not working can give an immediate sign of lack of attention and maintenance and will create question marks in people’s minds about what other problems are hidden within the property.

Maintenance

Rather than leaping straight into a major overhaul of different rooms etc. the first thing you should do is fix the pre-existing issues. Simple things like water leaks, broken seals, or other damaged areas of the house should be tackled straight away. Many of these jobs will not prove to be expensive but having a property with next to no issues to fix will make it far more attractive to any buyer and therefore will boost the overall value of the place.

Landscape & Gardening

A property is more than just bricks and mortar. A buyer is purchasing the surrounding land as well and so its condition needs to be as good as the house itself. Overgrown gardens can cause quite severe damage to a building including things as major as structural damage and weakening of foundations. Damp and mould can be caused as well as plants and trees obscuring the view of and out of your home. If it needs to be done, get it done and properly cut back the overgrowth.

Kitchen

The two rooms in the house that are always recommended to renovate are the kitchen and the bathroom. It is usually recommended that you open up the space in a kitchen as much as possible. Pump a bit of money into a quality kitchen renovation as the return should end up exceeding the cost if it is done well.

Bathroom

As with kitchens, quality bathroom design and renovation can lead to a really strong return on your investment. If you have the cash to spend you should really try to improve the look and functionality of your bathroom as much as possible. You don’t need to spend a fortune because just a few simple things like new shower curtains, toilet seats and storage can go a long way particularly in a small bathroom where your renovation options are limited.