Top Ten Improvements You Can Make To Improve Your Home's Value In 2012

By Author: david raju
Total Articles: 78
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1) Update Your Bathroom

This is pretty easy to do, even for do-it-yourselfers: regret the tiles in the shower, replace any chipped tiles on the floor or walls, and swap out your old sink for a newer looking model. A little paint and your bathroom looks 100% better. If your tub is looking worn, consider installing a one-piece tub and shower surround.

2) Spruce Up Your Gutters

Clean out all the muck and crud from your gutters, patch any holes, repaint them, and install gutter guards, such as Gutter Helmet, which are cheap to install and major labor-savers. It'll be a key selling point that whoever takes over your home won't have to climb a ladder.

3) Overhaul the Lighting

Installing new, energy efficient lighting fixtures makes your house look more modern and also saves you money on your electric bill. So, even if you don't sell the house, you'll at least save some money. Remember to use fluorescent bulbs: they save you even more money, and they're environmentally friendly.

4) Give Your Kitchen Floor An Overhaul

Kitchen floors tend to ...
... be vinyl tile or sheet vinyl, which can take a real beating, but inevitably don't age well. It's a simple process to peel up and replace old vinyl tiles, so consider giving your floor a nice new sheen.

5) Give Your House a Check-Up

Hire a plumber and electrician to come in for an hour or two and give your house an overhaul. Have them look for possible problems and repair them as necessary. It'll save you money in the long run, and keep any small problems now from becoming big problems later.

6) Update the Outlets and Switches

A lot of places have aging plastic beige outlets and switch faceplates. Look into getting faceplates that match your decor.

7) Get a Handle on Your Cabinets

You don't need to rip out your cabinets and start over, which can be expensive. But give them a good coat of paint or a refinishing, and swap out the handles and hinges for something more modern and less worn out.

8) Replace Your Worn Out Carpet

If your carpet is showing some wear, look into what it'll cost to spruce it up. New carpet is a great way to make your home look good.

9) Give Your House a Good Scrub and Trim

Wash the windows and siding, clean the driveway, rake up the leaves, keep the lawn trim, and get any leaves and branches off of your roof. The better a house looks from the curb, the more likely it is to sell.

10) Revamp Your Closets

Redesigning a closet is an inexpensive way to get more space for your stuff and also make them look modern. Consult with a storage company to overhaul your closets, and, of course, clean them out: getting rid of stuff you don't want will just make your house look cleaner.

David is a freelance writer who covers a variety of home improvement topics, like Gutters, gutter repair and installing gutter guards.