DIY Projects That Add the Most Value to Your Home

In the world of home improvement, DIY projects can not only improve the aesthetics of your living space but also add significant value to your property. Whether you are considering selling your home or simply looking to elevate its overall appeal, certain projects stand out for their ability to increase value. From minor upgrades to more extensive renovations, these DIY projects can transform your home and potentially boost its market value. Join us as we explore a selection of DIY projects that are known to add the most value to your home.

Freshen Up the Walls

Freshly painted walls are one of the cheapest updates a homeowner can afford, yet they significantly increase a home’s perceived and actual value. Neutral colours on the walls – white, light grey, beige, and other similar shades are a must for 84% of real estate agents because they provide perceived value by creating a calm and spacious-looking space, which are characteristics that appeal to most home buyers. Freshly painted walls can increase a home’s value by up to 10%, which can translate into a higher asking price of more than $20,000, depending on the home’s location.

Aside from the aesthetic appeal, freshly painted walls can also make a home look cared for and well-maintained. This statement is even more emphasised when applied to the home’s exterior. A home with a freshly painted exterior appears more well-maintained than it actually is, which can give potential buyers the impression that expensive home features like the roof, HVAC, and plumbing systems look better, too. This well-maintained illusion can add considerable value to your home and possibly even help you get a higher price point and a quick sale. The opposite is true for a home with chipped or faded paint: buyers will immediately think there are at least $18,000 in repairs needed, even if the inspection proves otherwise.

Update Fixtures

The best place to start and focus on when upgrading a home is the exterior. Updating a home’s entryway from a basic door to a steel door can yield a return on investment of over 200%. Recent statistics show that sellers will get over twice their original investment into modernising steel entry doors. Adding a pop of colour by painting your front door black can increase the amount buyers offer by $6,450. It’s a home improvement on the cheap since painting a door can be easily done as a DIY.

Another fixture that packs a punch is garage doors. Replacing an outdated garage door can yield an average of 194% return on investment with an average investment of $4,500 and an increase of $4,200 in resale value.

Upgrade Kitchen Cabinet Hardware

Replacing hardware on kitchen cabinets is one of the most affordable cabinet upgrades you can make. This is because you only have to spend around $2-$8 for a good handle or drawer pull. Yet, it can allow you to modernise old-looking cabinets, reflect more natural light if you opt for brushed brass or chrome, and even tie in colours and aesthetics in the kitchen for an overall ‘custom’ look. The project is also relatively simple and doesn’t require demolition, so there’s little chance of ruining your cabinets or adding to your costs.

While swapping out hardware on cabinets improves their functionality and aesthetic value, you shouldn’t actually expect to get a huge chunk of your money back when it’s time to sell your home. Studies of national real estate associations show that the cost recovery for this project averages only 67%. It’s still worth it, however, especially when compared to another home improvement project with a high cost recovery like refinishing hardwood floors. With a hardware swap, you can instantly boost the kitchen’s visual appeal and get rid of that ‘feel’ of an old or used space, even if the cabinets themselves are not new or high-quality. It’s a weekend project that can really pay off in terms of relative and perceived value.

Refinish Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floor refinishing is a good idea when your floor shows signs that the finish is no longer adequate. Signs that you need to refinish include dull stains on your floor, very deep scratches, faded areas, and areas where raw wood is exposed. When these signs are present, a simple deep cleaning or touch-up is no longer enough to restore your hardwood floor’s natural glow. Instead of replacing your hardwood floor, which can cost $12 to $20 per square foot, you can have it refinished for only $4 to $7 per square foot.

While refinishing hardwood floors may seem daunting, the process becomes far more manageable with proper sanding and finishing equipment. Many DIYers find that visiting a reputable power tool shop for the right tools helps achieve smoother results while reducing the risk of costly mistakes.

Hardwood floor refinishing is a lower-cost home improvement project that can improve your home’s value more than enough to cover the cost of refinishing. According to the Real Estate Staging Association, homes with refinished hardwood floors can sell for at least 2.5% more than their initial sale price. On a $300,000 property, a refinished hardwood floor can add $7,500+. In many cases, this additional sale price can easily cover the cost of refinishing the floor. In communities where hardwood flooring has become a status symbol of homebuyers, refinished hardwood floors can make certain your home will be worth more and that you can get better offers on your property.

Create a Kitchen Island

If done right, a kitchen island can effectively add usable space and dimension to the most important rooms in the house. When equipped with built-in sinks and outlets, prep-clean-host activities can all take place in one convenient, modern location without adding to kitchen traffic. This feels especially true in open areas, where the overall space is maximised instead of feeling overcrowded. 

Aside from a heavy emphasis on features, it’s also important to strategically place the kitchen island. Misplaced or oversized installations, especially too close to the fridge or stove, can easily turn a natural workflow into a congested one, thus making the kitchen space look cramped. Most buyers would discount this as a con if not avoided, precisely because ‘right-sized’ built-in islands are considered a feature, not a temporary add-on. 72% of first-time home buyers identified having a kitchen island as “essential” or “desirable”, and homes with kitchen islands tend to have higher sales prices and move faster in the market. Accurate measurements and clean cuts are very important when installing a permanent kitchen island, especially in open-plan spaces. Investing in dependable cutting and drilling tools can help make the island feel intentional and well-integrated rather than improvised.

Install or Upgrade Window Treatments

Replacing builder-grade blinds with new custom window treatments is a relatively inexpensive home improvement that can boost the home’s value. While it may not have an overt impact on the home’s aesthetic appeal, updated window treatments can subtly change the overall look, which buyers can subconsciously notice. Newly updated window treatments can make the home appear move-in ready and create an air of polish and sophistication that buyers are drawn to. Cellular shades are the ones many modern home buyers are gravitating towards because, aside from their clean, elegant look, they can save homeowners money. These can save about 40% from heat loss through windows during colder months, maintaining an even temperature throughout the room while cutting heat bills.

Basic Bathroom Upgrades

The key is to keep everything at the surface level because you only want to spend a little. A midrange bathroom remodel with new ceramic tile floors, updated chrome fixtures, and a solid-surface vanity top offers the biggest bang for your buck. These materials give you a fresh, updated look without the obscene price tags of luxury options and offer about 80% return on your investment, or more than 90% in some UK areas. Light and neutral colour schemes are also a must because they allow potential buyers to better imagine their own style in the space, rather than being constrained by your preferences. Changing colours from loud to mid-tone browns can increase your home’s selling price by several hundred pounds.

Install a New Front Door

Your front door is basically a pre-purchase taste of what living in the home will be like. It represents the house, signalling quality and well-maintained housing to potential buyers. A new door, particularly an energy-efficient one, can save you up to 10% in utility bills. Not only does it help add value and curb appeal to the home, but it can also pay you back through tax credits. On the topic of curb appeal, it pretty much never fails to deliver the best return on investment in remodelling. A stunning door with unique modern styles or beautiful woodgrain finishes really pops for home shoppers glancing at a list of homes for sale in your area. 

Conclusion

Choosing the right do-it-yourself project is a great way to increase your home’s equity without a full-blown renovation. From easy cosmetic improvements to more hands-on improvements, the right DIY home projects can demonstrate to potential buyers that a house has been maintained and provide you with a more attractive, functional place to live in while you wait for the right time to sell. When focusing on a high-impact project, homeowners can confidently perform the improvement knowing it will add value now (if you live in the house) and when it comes time to sell. 

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