Home improvements can seem daunting – sometimes we need an extra motive or some inspiration to help us go for it. Here are our top reasons to renovate your home in 2020:
Improve rather than move
Moving home can be very exciting but it’s also costly, and in a climate of uncertainty, homeowners are choosing to stay put and invest their cash in renovations until the market is more secure. From a lick of paint to building an extension, refreshing your home can often be just as satisfying as finding a new one.
If you want to move, you’ve probably identified some problems with your current home. Perhaps you have an issue with space, or a problem with your plumbing, but with a bit of effort and help from the right people you can tackle the challenges and avoid the stress of moving. Once it’s done, you may realise you’ve fallen back in love with your home and you don’t want to move after all!
You can find our handy cost guides here, so whatever improvement you’d like to make, you’ll be able to find the basic costs before you look for the right person for the job.
Add value to your home
There are many ways to add value to your home, which will prove to be beneficial if you need to sell your place in the future.
If you have an older property that hasn’t been modernised, it might be a good time to think about starting again – a full renovation can add a lot of value. If you have a large property, you could consider splitting it into flats to rent or sell, especially if you’d like to fund buying a new home. It’s best to do some research to see what the demand is like in your area and to see what kind of planning permission you’d need.
Extensions that maximise unused space – such as in a garage, loft or basement – can also add a lot of value to your home. If you’re thinking about an attic or basement extension, read Phil Spencer’s advice here.
Smaller scale projects can also add value. You could fit a new bathroom, knock down a wall to create an open plan kitchen/living room, or transform your outside space with a patio, deck or summer house.
Find an expert builder to help you with your new year project here.
Declutter your life
You may have heard of Marie Kondo and Mrs Hinch. Although you may not want to go their extremes of organisation, most of us could benefit from a spring clean of some sort to free up space in our homes and lives.
Renovations are often the excuse we need to reassess our belongings, as we have to pack them up and sort through them. Do we really need to keep things that don’t work or use up precious space? And just like any home improvement, this sort of clean out can really help to freshen things up.
Renovation is about making your life easier and your home more comfortable and enjoyable to live in. Less obvious but small design changes can really make a difference to your daily life and wellbeing too. This could be as simple as getting some bespoke shelves made to maximise space in your living room, or painting your bedroom a trendy new colour.
Feeling inspired to make a change this year? Find a tradesperson in your area here.
