Benefits of Home Improvement

As a home owner (many times over as a pastor's wife!), I have seen the joys and pitfalls of home ownership. I have owned homes of varying style, condition, and age. My husband and I have lived in wildly different real estate markets and experienced making and losing money on our home. As a realtor in the high stakes market that is Northern Virginia, helping families through these experiences has become a rewarding career.

In today's improving economy, home owners are once again able to invest in improving their homes. This project often seems daunting. Where to begin? How much money should be spent? Will you make that money back when you sell the home? Etc. etc. ad nauseum....

So what are the long term benefits to improving your home? I would say above all - your personal enjoyment of the place you call "home." Unless you plan on flipping the house, you will be sleeping, eating, entertaining, making memories, and living life in your home. Not only is it your home though, it is an investment that you will want to see a return on right? Making wise improvements is a smart money move.

But where to begin? The answer isn't always glamorous! Places you can't see are often a great place to start. What is the age and function of the HVAC, roof, insulation, wiring, or plumbing? Beginning your improvements here will almost always save you money monthly in utilities and once you decide to sell, these improvements are peace of mind for the buyer. Places you can see are more fun though right?! For the majority of families today, much of daily life revolves around - you guessed it - the kitchen. When we purchased our current home it came fully equipped with chipped formica, a closed concept, peeling laminate and a refrigerator older than the house. Lucky me! Our first project was obviously to make this space more enjoyable and updated. Always be careful though that the kitchen isn't too taste specific, or has updates that don't make wise money sense.

The bathroom can also be a smart improvement and can be done on a reasonable budget. My personal fave is the rainfall shower head - inexpensive and yet so satisfying.

Lastly, don't go it alone. Making sure the job is done well is of utmost importance. Having a DIY updated kitchen is exciting until the wiring you tried to run yourself starts a fire in the wall!