How to Increase Home Equity During a Quarantine

During the stay at home order, you’ve surely honed your cocktail making skills, completed a jigsaw puzzle, baked bread and finished an art project or two. Being stuck at home had given us all more time to finish projects at home. Here is how to increase home equity during a quarantine.

Short Term Projects for Equity

Increasing your home’s value is best done according to a well laid plan. As a rule of thumb, home improvement projects cost in the range of 25 on the dollar. The remainder goes directly to increasing your home’s overall value.

Impulse upgrades are always a bad idea. This isn’t the area to experiment with projects like fixing the roof or building a deck. Attempting a big project like this mid-quarantine could result in disaster. If the stay at home orders are lifted and your life returns to normal, your project could be left abandoned for quite some time.

Taking on a smaller and easier project sets you up for success. Likely it’s also more cost-effective. Injuries and failure are less likely with these sized projects.

Home Improvement During Quarantine

Some of the projects mentioned below will require supplies from a home improvement store or big box retailer. Many chains have reduced hours, social distancing and mask requirements. Be sure you are aware of these protocols before setting out for your supplies. Keeping yourself and others safe is a priority so take advantage of online and curbside pick up opportunities.

Paint a Room – A coating of paint can hide a multitude of sins. It’s a cost effective way to create a big change in your room. Neutrals are a safe choice if you are looking to sell anytime soon, but don’t stifle your creativity. If colorful options appeal to you, go for it. You’ll be staring at these walls for the foreseeable future so make them suit your style. When buying, remember that a gallon of paint will cover a 400 square foot room, or somewhere thereabouts. Check your supply stock for paint rollers, drop cloths, painter’s tape and rags for unfortunate spills.

Refresh your Front Door – Adding a new color to your front door is an easy project that sets the tone for the rest of your home. This can be especially easy if you have appropriately colored leftover paint hanging out in your garage. The project doesn’t require much paint and will update the whole feeling of the front of your home. If you have even more paint, consider adding matching color to your mailbox or shutters.

Replace Faucets  – Updating bathroom or kitchen sink fixtures is a fairly easy DIY project. A shiny new faucet ups the ante in the whole sink for a minimal price. Basic faucets start at $60 and can run over $300 for interactive, touchless options. Youtube is full of tutorial videos that make this project easy to accomplish.

Out with Old Grout – Grout is a porous material which means you can only clean it so much. Bleach and toothbrush will take you pretty far, but grout gets grimy and there is little you can do about it. Remove old grout with a putty knife and sponge away excess and dirt. Replace the grout with fresh, new grout that matches your desired look.

Under Cabinet Lighting – Cabinets can cast large shadows on counters below. Adding under cabinet lighting is the perfect answer for these darker areas. Adding lighting under the cabinets in your laundry room, pantry or kitchen only takes about 30 minutes. Decide where you need the lights to highlight countertops and backsplashes and get to work. Adding LED strip lights hides the fixture while creating energy efficient lighting. Use a power drill to secure them and follow the directions on wiring.

Update your Hardware – Another factor that dates your kitchen is the hardware on your cabinets. We hardly notice the handles until we change them. For a simple makeover, add some new colorful hardware or great vintage finds from the internet. Most cabinets are made with standard sized holes for installation but be sure before you buy. This project only takes a few minutes with a Phillips head screwdriver.

Deck Decorations – Do not start building a new deck. If your deck is even a bit usable, update what you have. Sand down areas that are touched often like surfaces and rails to remove any old flaking paint or stain. Take the time to scrub down the deck and remove any stains and dirt. If you choose to power wash it, be careful not to use too much power which can cause pitting and divots. Add a new coating of paint or stain to further protect the wood from weather while adding a new color. Dust off furniture and add new cushions and a matching umbrella to create an outdoor oasis. You’ll be ready to host barbecues and al fresco dinners, when social distancing rules are lifted.

Banish Branches – Landscaping can run amok during the spring. Keeping your yard areas requires ongoing work. For big jobs in trees and near power lines, always call in professionals to help. Otherwise, tackle the smaller stuff yourself. Clean out the gutters, remove small branches from bushes and small trees. Anything that touches your home is providing a bridge for creepy crawlies and moisture to attack the house. Plant some flowers and attractive shrubs to add appeal.

Create Curb Appeal – Driveways are an often overlooked area of the front yard. Keeping yours fresh is fairly easy and inexpensive to do while creating big results. Painting a driveway can make a difference to both concrete or black top drives. Paints are available in a variety of colors beyond black, to match your home’s color scheme. Clean your driveway, allow it to dry and start painting. Paint on one to two coats according to the directions. Your driveway should remain good looking for up to 5 years, though extreme temperatures and weather can shorten this timeframe.

Swap Switch Plates – Cracked and loose switch plates are an eyesore and dangerous. Dust and debris can work its way into the wiring and cause electrical fires. Even intact switch plates can be changed out for aesthetic reasons. These are a low cost upgrade to any room. Modern plates come with dimmers and nightlight and USB options built in. This easy project is simple. Make sure you turn off the power and grab a screwdriver to get started.

Soft Surface Odors – Rugs and soft surfaces can hold onto odors within your home. Pets, teeanagers and smoke can all linger within these surfaces and cause unwanted smells in your house. To remove them, consider a deep cleaning. Rent a rug cleaner for large swaths of rug or big area rugs. Wood and walls surprisingly can also absorb odor. Wash them down with water and dish soap. Spray upholstery with cleaner. Finally, finish the project by changing out your HVAC filters.

Welcome Mat – A simple and easy way to greet visitors is with a fresh welcome mat. Frayed, stained and messy mats set the wrong tone for anyone visiting your home, even if it’s just the Amazon delivery person. There are endless sayings, styles, shapes and colors to choose from so pick one that works with your home’s exterior. There is literally no work involved with this change, just toss the old one out!

Quarantine Increase Accomplished – While some of these projects are easy for a one-man team, others are larger and more expensive. Adding paint to the exterior of your home might be an area to seek help for. This is especially true if your home is multi-level, on uneven surfaces or if you are uncomfortable on a ladder. Even inside, changing the color of your cabinets, a room or the ceilings can make a huge impact but might require the assistance of professionals. Schedule a free, no-obligation estimate appointment with our team to discuss your quarantine projects today. We offer in-person, socially distanced estimate appointments as well as virtual options.