10 Ways to Improve Your Home

Want to increase the value of your home, whilst at the same time improving your standard of living? We have put together 10 top tips to achieve just that.

1). Extension
Adding an extension to your home could increase its value by 10 - 50%. The key factor is to add proportion to your house. If you have a small kitchen but a big living room, how about extending your kitchen.

2). New Kitchen
Revamping your kitchen is a fantastic way of increasing the value of your property, and it could add up to 10%. Never underestimate the impact a new kitchen has on house buyers. It is a room that you spend a lot of your time in, and it could mean the difference between sale or no-sale.

3). Loft Conversion
A loft conversion is a great way to increase your home's value, without building outwards. It can add up to 15% to the value of your home.

4). En-suite Bathroom
An en-suite bathroom is a great way of adding the appearance of luxury to your home, and can increase your home's value by 5%. For maximum return it is best to use the space from a large bedroom, rather than converting an existing bedroom.

5). Insulation
Insulating your home can heavily reduce your utility bills and can also make a sale more likely as your home will fit the "Eco Friendly" bracket.

6). Flooring
A good way to improve the appearance of your home is to replace old or worn out flooring. Whether it be carpets, floorboards or laminate, replacing the worn out look can immediately change the appearance of your home.

7). Redecorating
This is probably the cheapest way of improving the appearance of your home. A lick of paint can add freshness to your home in a matter of hours.

8). New Bathroom Suite
A new and modern bathroom can add 5% to your home, and like the kitchen can make the difference between a sale or no-sale. House buyers put a lot of focus on kitchens and bathrooms, and if they look dated, it can appear that you put no effort into your home.

9). Home Exterior
Sorting out the exterior of your home is a must if you are selling, and can add between 10 - 15% to your property value. Fixing up the front garden, painting the house, and fixing the roof, guttering, fascias, etc. can make a huge difference.

10). Internal Problems
Fixing any nagging issues within your home is essential for when you do want to sell, and waiting until your house goes to market, will only add unnecessary stress to the process. It will make a huge difference fixing the damp patches, sorting out the dripping taps, and re-varnishing the old wood.

To add real value to your home it helps to get a professional architect involved, to make sure the job is done correctly. ARI Design (Architects Leicester) is based on Leicestershire, and provides a range of home improvements services. For more information visit http://www.aridesign.co.uk/