If you are looking to sell or just want to make the most of your homes value, here are some key areas to focus your energy on for the best returns:

1. Bathroom / Kitchen

Bathrooms and kitchens sell homes. Granted, these can be costly to replace but you’ll generally get your money back with these renovations (provided you don’t go too crazy). If you can’t afford a complete renovation things like replacing the vanity in the bathroom, replacing grouting in the tiles, replacing cupboard doors / handles, replacing the splash back or updating the tapware can help to freshen up and modernise the room.

2. Curb Appeal

First impressions count. People will judge a house (just as they do a person) in the first few moments of seeing it. Create some curb appeal by freshening up the front of your house; tidy or landscape the garden, paint the front door and/or garage door, paint / tidy the fence.

3. Painting

A lick of paint can turn a tired looking room / home into something fresh, light and modern, and it doesn’t need to cost the earth, especially if you do it yourself. Remember to keep the palate neutral as a neon green room with a purple feature wall may not appeal to everyone. Likewise, painting the outside of a house can turn it from looking tired and run-down to fresh, tidy and well-cared for home.

4. Update the little things

Replacing little things like light bulbs, light fittings, door and cupboard handles and light switches can make a huge difference with relatively little effort. When selling our first home we changed the handles on all the kitchen cupboards from a curved handle to a more square handle and the transformation it made to the kitchen was huge, it made it seem much more modern (or much less older) than it actually was, for a very small cost.

5. Insulation

A well-insulated house is a must-have these days. The benefits to both our health and finances have been proven. There are a number of Government and Council grants available as well the Sustainable Energy Loan that could help towards the cost if insulating your home.

The information contained in this article is of a general nature and should not be taken as advice. It reflects the opinions of the writer only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of New Zealand Home Loans.