Some things change the value of your property, some change the way you live. But what upgrades do both? Here’s 5 easy improvements you can make now, or before you build.
How would life change if you could serve your friends piping hot homemade pizza in your outdoor entertaining kitchen each Friday night?
Or light up a room with a stunning modern light that looks like art?
Little home upgrades make a big difference to how you love and live in your home. They can transform basic rooms into luxury, and improve the home’s resale value to boot.
Anything that makes potential buyer’s eyes light up when they see the listing photos is a good upgrade to consider, especially if it’s within budget.
Upgrade #1: living life outside
Outdoor lifestyle upgrades deserve top billing because entertaining space adds tremendous value to your home, and glams up your everyday living.
Outside areas like decks, balconies, patios and porches are essentially an extra living space in your home. Not only are you expanding the footprint of the house, you’re offering a space for relaxation, entertainment, games, and comfort.
You can upscale again by including more luxury niceties like built-in bbqs and outdoor kitchens, a hanging pod chair or hammock, a pizza oven or firepit.
The kitchen is the heart of the home, but the deck is where you live. A beautiful, usable outdoor area also connects your yard to the house, making the backyard a seamless part of the home.
Upgrade #2: Butler’s pantry
Some people will say a butler’s pantry isn’t necessary, but you don’t have to go as far as including a second kitchen (as many butler’s pantries are) to add a little extra spice and space to the main room of the house.
A butler’s pantry can be as simple as a walk-in cupboard with plenty of space for everything a family needs. It’s a huge bonus for you to have the extra storage, but it’s also a wow factor for buyers down the track.
Sometimes a difference as small as extra kitchen storage can make your home stand out from others on the market.
Upgrade #3: Beautiful bathroom features that shout ‘spa day’
Bathrooms are one of the biggest return-on-investment upgrades you can do in a home, so it’s worth thinking about how you can boost yours.
When you’re building a home, you get to choose your fixtures and fittings. You have the freedom to think a little differently about things like shower heads and screens.
For example, you could switch out a regular shower head with a dual shower system, which has a rainfall showerhead, hand shower and wall shower. Doorless showers are increasing in popularity too – keep an eye on trends to see what people are looking for, like floating vanities and smart toilets, if your budget can extend there.
Upgrade #4: Choose attractive lighting
Most new homes come standard with either globe lights or downlights. Choosing some feature pieces of lighting act like artwork in your home, and look particularly stunning in modern, brand new builds.
Think chandeliers (modern chandeliers can be as simple or dramatic as you like), hanging pendant lights, LED strip lighting, and wall sconces. You can easily install dimmers on most lights, too.
Upgrade #5: Air quality and conditioning
If you’re building anywhere around Australia’s sweltering-in-summer regions, controlling the temperature of your home is not a creature comfort, it’s a must.
Some new homes come standard with air conditioners these days, but if it’s not on the plans, look into adding one or two wall-mounted split system units (typically placed in the living area and master bedroom).
Or, for even better comfort, look into ducted air conditioning, where heated or cooled air flows from grills in the ceiling of each room. Installing ducted air conditioning during the build is a much easier process than retrofitting it later.
Ducted air conditioning is more costly upfront, but it’s a luxury upgrade that provides plenty of wow factor. Buyers will love the flexibility and quiet of ducted air conditioning, and the unobtrusive grills are aesthetically much better than wall units.
And of course, you’ll love it too when summer rolls around each year.
Find your forever home
Contact one of our team to help. We have finance experts who can help you work out your borrowing capacity.
We can even help you source suburbs where you’ll profit most from a home purchase, so you can get out of the rental roundabout and move onto the property ladder while the conditions are in your favour.
