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How to Increase the Value of Your Holiday Home — Holiday homes are a wonderful investment, not only do they serve the purpose of accommodating you and your family come vacation time, but they can also be really great assets to have. You can keep them, rent them out and even flip them.
Tips on How to Increase the Value of Your Holiday Home
So what really helps to add more value to your holiday home? Here are a couple of great tips that should help you out.
Fix The Obvious Non-Aesthetic Problems First
This is a definite no-brainer, but sadly one that some homeowners forget when they’re rushing out to get paint samples. There are some common noticeable problems that you can easily run into when looking through your home such as a squeaky door hinge or some roof patching that needs to be done, but there are times where you have to look a little harder.
Make sure you look for any problems in plumbing to prevent untoward bills and water damage, check windows and doors for damages and slight defects, rot might be present in some areas, there could be structural cracks that could be mistaken for dirt, and of course never forget to check if the roof needs any mending. Missing roofing tiles and unknown leaks could cause even greater problems in the future.
Get Your Creativity On!
Once you’re sure that there isn’t a single unoiled hinge or leaky pipe it’s time to get to arguably one of the best parts of owning a home, the design. Whether it is interior or exterior design work, there are plenty of things you can do without breaking the bank. In fact, you would be surprised at the little things that you can do with the resources you already have to improve the overall look of your holiday home.
A fresh coat of paint can refresh the appeal of the house and it helps lift the mood. You can do this one room at a time and it is a surefire way of revitalizing your property. The floor is just as important and they can even improve the characteristic smell of the house. You can utilize carpets and rugs to creative visual appeal. Sanding floorboards that have been subject to excessive wear allows you to have them painted, stained and open for other design work. Also, don’t forget the options that you have for the windows.
After you’re done with the major improvements, one must always keep in mind that the details count, from light switches that can give away the age of the house to the way your curtains and furniture look against the new paint, all these things matter.
Light
Lighting helps boost the way parts of the house are presented, it makes the house feel natural and livable. There are many ways to go about this with dimmers, mood lighting, miniature spotlights that highlight certain fixtures, and even outside lights that illuminate the garden and the exterior of the house.
However, your options don’t only stop there, as you should also look towards improving how natural light enters your holiday home during the day. From skylights, solar tubes, mirrors, types of window materials, to the ways that interior colors interact with the rays of sunlight that enter your house. You have a lot of options in this department.
Scale Up
One way to increase the value of your holiday home is by scaling up. Now this can be done in any number of ways, whether it is adding an extension to the home, building up by adding a new floor, or adding a basement that could serve as a recreational area or major livable space.
Adding space to a preexisting structure is a great idea since it almost always increases the value of any property. Proper space planning is indicative of good home design. Open floor plans create a sense of flow in any house and are one of the easiest ways to reinvent a house. Not only can space be used as added livable area but it can also be used as a design feature and helps provide “framing” for certain parts of the house. This was a major takeaway from an interview I had with Alex, director at designprinciple.com.mt.
Before embarking on any extension of the house in any direction make sure you have the proper budget in place and your permits are in order.
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Don’t Forget the Exterior
The outside is just as important as the inside, and believe it or not, but landscaping is considered one of the best investments that you can do for your holiday home and is one that can also produce the highest returns.
Trees are often forgotten and could always use a good trim, gardens should be maintained and the facade of the house should always reflect what the house has to offer.
Do you have gaps in your garden? Those can easily be fixed by any potted plants that you have lying around. Is your outdoor furniture functional? Lawn furniture and lounging chairs have to be clean and as usable as the furniture inside the house. Have you considered your entrance? The entrance, gate, and front door are the passageways into your home and their appearance is indicative of the maintenance of the house.
Get a Friend to Help You Out
Sometimes we are subject to extreme bias when it comes to the things that we own and in order for us to make an accurate assessment having a new set of eyes can help. Ask a friend to come over and have a look at your holiday home and give you a “no holds barred” evaluation on how the house feels.
Having someone else evaluate the property allows you to get feedback on how you should proceed with your renovations and gives you time to take a step back. This is especially useful if you plan on selling your holiday property as they can give you a glimpse on the questions and criticisms that may arise from a potential buyer or broker. Remember to always keep an open ear!
Author Bio
Elena is a mother; home design expert; and a senior resident content writer at luxuryvillasmalta.com. When she’s not embarking on design projects, she’s a stalker at art galleries or is immersed in the visual depth of nature.
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