Some household retailers are offering up to 4 years interest free credit – why not forget about the gloom and invest in your home
With house prices showing only slow signs of recovery and the expectation of a double dip recession it’s unlikely many of us will be moving up the property ladder any time soon.
Accepting that you’re staying put for the time being may be all the incentive you need to look at your home afresh and consider what improvements can be made. Not only will you end up with a more enjoyable and comfortable property, but you may even increase the prospects of a sale should you decide it’s time to move on.
Happily, retailers of household fittings are feeling the pinch as well, and there are some great deals available for those who would like to invest in their properties. Some are even offering up to 4 years of interest free credit, a stunning deal that could see you relaxing in luxury far sooner than you previously imagined possible. Here are a few suggestions for maximising your cash and getting the best return on your investment while making home improvements.
It’s important to target the areas that will improve your quality of living. Not only will such benefits see an instant increase in the resale value of your property, but they’ll have an immediate and long-lasting impact for you and your family. Obvious areas include kitchens and bathrooms. With a high level of interest in home improvements fuelled via numerous TV shows people are conditioned to expect a high quality finish, so make sure you have a clear plan for finishing the job well and within your budget.
Great suggestions include refreshing or replacing existing kitchen cabinets, repainting doors and installing quality wood flooring. Thanks to improvements in materials, wooden flooring is now an option for everyone. You can now buy laminate flooring at a fraction of its previous cost or you can invest in cheap oak flooring for a stylish finish that can add instant value to your home.
A great way to make your house function more smoothly is to increase the options you have for storage. Shelving can be installed quickly and easily giving you more space and allowing you to dress your home to great effect.
Structural improvements typically yield less in the way of improving your home’s value but they may have other benefits such as reducing a building’s carbon footprint. Improvements such as loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, double glazing and draft proofing will all help in reducing your energy usage and thus cutting your house’s CO2 output.
Remember to think about the outside of your property, as well as the inside. Replacing windows, especially broken or cracked ones, can also give a property an instant facelift. Take this opportunity to upgrade to more weather resilient materials and you can protect against ongoing maintenance. Likewise, your garden is another area where simple improvements can add value to your house and your life. Simple, low cost renovations like decking have been proven to give a significant return on your investment as well as making your garden a more functional part of your house.