Press Room
Home Improvements For Lifestyle And Resale
With the property market in a state of flux in recent years, it seems that people are moving less often, and are looking to stay in their homes for longer. So, instead of only making changes when looking to move and increasing the chance of a quick sale, many more of us are making improvements that simply add to the enjoyment of our living space – and that ultimately still add value to the right buyer somewhere down the line.
With this in mind, what are some current ideas and trends for making changes to your house which will add to its appeal as a real home - both in the short term, and when you come to sell?
Open plan kitchen?
The trend in open-plan living has led to demand for versatile accommodation on the ground floor. This can mean opening up areas to embrace a modern, communal approach to living.
Knocking down walls - of course, after having made sure they are not load-bearing - can be a great way of maximising the feeling of space in your home. This could involve knocking a kitchen, dining and living room through to create a larger shared living space. With kitchens increasingly taking a lead role in the life of a home, this can be a way of embracing a modern style of living without making any huge structural changes. Meanwhile, some point out that buyers are increasingly uninterested in how many rooms a home has, but rather how much usable space there is.
The bonuses include making it easier to communicate with other people, meaning an end to the feeling of being apart from the family or guests if you are 'stuck in the kitchen'. It can also create a more convivial atmosphere for entertaining and, if you have children, having a clear view over several rooms at once makes it easier to keep an eye on them.
Of course, this may be more of bonus for some families than for others, depending on how much individual members value privacy. In addition, it would pay to think about the potential impact of noise and mess when it can't be shut away behind a closed door.
Just don't forget the décor. If you go down the approach of living in the open, it may be necessary to think about subtly varying the colours of different areas, to create distinct parts of a larger whole.
Open garden?
Linked with the idea of open plan indoor living is the concept of bringing your garden into play as another 'room' of the house. This can be done fairly simply, by using large sliding doors to offer easy access from a living room, for example, straight out onto the garden. When teamed with an area of decking, this can give the feeling of extra space and offer still more versatile accommodation and entertaining options.
And if you like the idea of wood on the outside, then how about going all-in with wooden flooring on the inside as well? Wood is seen as being a practical, timeless choice for the floor, and has strong resale appeal. If you think it could be for you, those in the know suggest having a quick peek under the carpet before paying out for materials, as you may find you are already sitting on a great investment which just needs a bit of care to get the best out of it.
Energy efficiency
While you are making changes to your home, don't forget some less obviously glamorous ways to improve your quality of life while you live there, while also potentially enticing buyers. With environmental concerns set to be increasingly important to buyers, making eco-friendly, energy saving upgrades could make sense in terms of saving money on bills - after the initial installation costs, of course - and in realising money on your investment when you sell.
According to some suggestions, eco-friendly houses are set to be worth more than their standard counterparts. Even modest steps such as loft and cavity wall insulation more than pay for themselves in the medium term, while government grants can also help pay for more advanced steps like solar water heaters.
Of course, whatever you do to your home, significant changes are not going to be cheap, and a Sainsbury’s loan may be a convenient way to fund them.
Issued by Sainsbury’s Finance
Sainsbury’s Finance is a trading name of Sainsbury’s Bank plc. All information correct at time of publication, but may be subject to change. Any views or opinions expressed in this article are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of any part of the Sainsbury’s Group of companies.
Sainsbury’s Finance is a financial services provider engaged in savings accounts, credit cards, and personal loans. It also supplies insurance services in car insurance, home insurance, life insurance, pet insurance and travel insurance as well as being a provider of travel money services.
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Article date: 11/28/2011 12:00:00 AM