30 Ways To Improve Your Home | 4Homes

Date Published:: 17/07/2008

With the housing market in its current state, the sensible householder's mantra should be 'don't move: improve'. With this in mind, we've come up with tips, advice and links to our best features to help you boost your home's value so that staying in put won't just make sense financially, it will be an absolute pleasure.

By Lucy Searle

Money House: 30 Ways To Improve Your Home

1. When you're planning and tightening your budget , the last thing you want to do is spend money unnecessarily on your home - so it's worth researching first which home improvements will boost your home's value and which jobs will devalue your house. That way, every penny spent will be spent wisely.

Glass Extension. Credit: Richard Bryant.

2. An extension could add between 10 and 50 per cent to the value of your home, depending on its size and how well it's finished. The key is to get its proportions just right. So, you've plenty of bedrooms but a tiny kitchen? Add on a downstairs extension to create a spacious kitchen diner. Got a huge garden but a small house? Put on a double storey extension to create the family home of your dreams. Want something state of the art? Add a glass extension.

3. Planning a new kitchen is an absolute must for anyone seriously looking to boost their home's value - it could add up to 10 per cent in value to your home, it's the first thing a potential buyer will look for in the future, and it's also the room you're likely to spend much of your time in, particularly if it is a kitchen diner and living space all in one. The secret? Pick one that matches the style of your home - so choose a contemporary kitchen for a modern home, or something more traditional for a period property.

Dish Washer: 30 Ways To Improve Your Home

4. Want a new kitchen but lacking the budget? Replacing your kitchen doors and old appliances with new, good quality appliances will go a long way to giving your kitchen that just-renovated feel, but at a fraction of the cost.

Kitchen Worktop: 30 Ways To Improve Your Home

5. New kitchen wall tiles and replacement worktops will instantly smarten up a tatty kitchen, as will new hard flooring throughout.

Loft Conversion: 30 Ways To Improve Your Home

6. A loft conversion could also add up to 10 per cent to the value of your home and, unlike a ground floor extension, it won't steal space from the garden. The ideal? Get a bedroom and extra bathroom up there, if you can.

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Comments

Hi Carolyn The turning circle I think is only a good idea if you will have decent garden space to put in some flower beds right in front of the house, round the side and possibly at the front. There's nothing uglier than a fully paved/gravelled driveway - you need to think of the view from the outside of the house, but also from inside looking out, which would be changed from one of greenery to one of cars... It doesn't sound like there's a massive parking problem where you live - if I was you, I'd leave it as it is.

Posted by Lucy 4Homes Ed on 14/08/2008 21:40:08

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We have a small drive to side of house & can park 2 cars 1 behind the other - no turning space or garage. Front garden,now lawn, could make a gravel turning space & park 2 more cars. Would this make your 'good idea' list? We can park in the road outside but it get's busy when school run on as the school is next door. You don't mention this subject in your otherwise excellant list on how to improve your house.

Posted by Carolyn Finbow on 13/08/2008 14:41:18

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I had the luxury of a useful budget when putting together a flat to let for self catering holidays. Your articles have given me ideas on how to do something similar with my own flat which doesn't enjoy the same funds. Particulary thwe advice on bathrroms and kitchens. A conservatory would be great but my space is miniscule.

Posted by Peter Ellis on 08/08/2008 18:46:03

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