7 Easy DIY Improvements to Increase Home Value During COVID-19
We’ve all been spending a lot of time at home. Whether you’re still working, or passing the time with hobbies and Netflix- you, like the rest of us, are likely bored, scared, and overwhelmed by the news. It can be hard to look at the bright side right now, it may seem tough to stay motivated or positive and that’s ok.
Personally, I’ve been feeling less productive for sure but I’ll get bursts of energy here and there. When I can no longer binge watch that show anymore, this is the time I want to get my hands dirty and do something creative and crafty that will make me forget about Joe Exotic and the fact that I can’t see my friends right now.
I started to create a list of projects for myself for when I get this spark of energy. What 5–10 things could I do during this time that would add value to my quality of life right now AND add value to my home?
We’ve compiled a list of 7 home improvements you can do while you’re stuck home that, combined, will surely increase your home’s value and curb appeal. Not only do we give you a list — we show you photos of projects completed by OHA team members, and client’s we’ve worked with!
Many of these projects have even been completed during COVID-19 isolation, and not all of them were finished in one day. If you take on a project, be kind to yourself, treat this as fun and therapeutic activities.
Also — no need to worry about risking COVID-19 exposure. Home Depot is offering curbside pick-up, so none of these tasks will hurt your spotless self-isolation record!
So check out these 7 home improvements to keep you busy while you’re stuck home:
1.Landscaping/Outside of Home
The outside of your home is the first thing a potential buyer will look at. Curb appeal is such a huge factor in creating interest in a buyer, so it’s essential that the outside of your home looks incredible. There are a couple ways you can make the outside of your home look even better while you’re stuck and sitting around.
Take the time to plant flowers, pull unappealing bushes/plants — whatever you can to make the outside look beautiful. Sure, you’ll have to do touch ups, such as trimming hedges and pulling weeds, before actually showing your home, but there are landscaping details you can take care of now!
It’s a great idea to make sure whatever you’re planting is native or adapted to the area you live in. If you live in Austin, Texas (where Open House is based) then we suggest consulting this Austin guide. And when it comes time to get your plants, many places are still open and doing online/phone ordering and have pick-up options. Just search your local plant shop/nursery and make sure to support local! If you live in the Austin area, the Barton Springs Nursery is offering online ordering and pick up.
You can also build a garden/planters! These projects do require some labor/outdoor time, but as long as you have the right tools, it’s not too hard to complete. Our founders Steph and Kristina built planters and found the instructions from a YouTube video, and they came out so cute (pictured below)!
Other outdoor touch ups you can do? How about fixing your drive-way, walk-ways, or patios? Filling in cement, fixing cracks, and adding gravel are great ways to improve your curb appeal while you have some extra time. A loose plank on a wooden patio or fence is also a DIY task you can complete while you have the time at home.
Power washing your house, walkway and sidewalks are also a great way to spruce up your home. Don’t have a power washer? We have a list of great contractors and handy people in Austin who would love some work right now!
2. Painting/Touch Ups
A super easy task you can complete while home? Painting! We don’t mean repainting the entire inside and outside of your home (unless it really needs it). But now is a great time to fix scratches or holes in the walls, and touch up any areas that might not look wonderful.
Even if your walls look good, and there isn’t much to touch up, why not get creative and paint anyways? Try a cool accent wall somewhere, either a fun color or even try getting adventurous and paint it in a unique way, like our past client Riley Campbell. She is an incredible graphic designer and has made her place adorable (pictured below)! Want to learn to paint an accent wall like Riley’s? Check out her step by step tutorial of her process here.
Another great place to repaint would be your doors! Doors often see a lot of wear and tear, and they are the first thing people see before entering a house or room. A well painted front door is also important when it comes to curb appeal. A unique color always grabs attention and stands out — so why not get creative?
More places to paint while you’re home? Cabinets! Areas like your kitchen and bathroom are super important when reselling! These areas cost the most to remodel, and an outdated kitchen or bathroom could greatly decrease your selling price. This is a good time to work on these rooms. Although it’s minor, repainting your cabinets could completely change the look of a room, and add a lot of value!
3. New Hardware
While we’re on the topic of the value of putting work into your kitchen and bathroom, let’s talk about new hardware! Replacing old hardware is such an easy project that you can do on your own. From door knobs to faucets, adding modern and cohesive hardware makes your home look cleaner and more up to date.
Having the same type of metal/color throughout your home will make it look way better, rather than having mixed metals that look cluttered and tacky. This is a great project to take on while you’re repainting cabinets, as you can do them at the same time. Cabinets will need to be removed to properly paint, and once they’re dry, it’s a great time to add new knobs.
This will also have a very satisfying “oh wow!” moment, as your kitchen or bathroom will suddenly look completely new.
This is also a great time to replace your kitchen sink faucet with something more modern, and more useful. A sink with a detachable head is easier for dishes and cleaning, and a sink with a built in water filter is incredibly handy! You can use this opportunity to add even more value to your sink.
4. Tiling
Tiling is not as intimidating as it sounds. This is a project you can definitely take on, especially with the extra time on your hands!
This is a great time to get rid of that bland tile you’ve hated since you moved in. Since tiles are mostly in kitchens and bathrooms (the rooms that updates add the most value) it’s an extra advantageous move to put a little blood, sweat, and tears into them.
You’d be surprised how affordable this task can actually be! You can find cute plain tiles at Home Depot for pretty cheap, so don’t fret thinking this task is going to drain your funds.
Besides re-tiling your floors, it’s a great time to re-tile your shower/bath! These updates add a lot of value to your home, and the work is definitely worth the reward.
Your kitchen is also a great place to re-tile! A backsplash in your kitchen is not only super cute, but it also is useful and it adds value to your kitchen — one of the rooms that potential buyers focus the most on! Our past client, Chrysta, just added a really fun backsplash to her colorful kitchen (pictured)! And it was all done during her self-quarantine at home. Her pictures also show how fun you can get with painting and hardware at home as well!
5. New Light Fixtures
Updating your lights is a great way to improve your home’s overall aesthetic. A lot of lights that come with homes can be a tad outdated, and changing up your lights is an easy way to make your room a lot cuter!
With installing overhead lights, there are a couple things you need to be cautious about. If you buy a new fixture that is much heavier, make sure that your ceiling can handle extra weight. It’s also important to be mindful while working with wires, and work smartly when installing.
If you’re wondering where to get cute lights while you’re stuck home, you can try Home Depot and like we previously mentioned, you can order and pick it up from there! Also, since time is on our side, you can be more selective and order something online to get delivered, just remember deliveries are currently taking much longer. I have found some cute options for my house on Wayfair and CB2.
6. Closet Built Ins
One project you can undertake during this time? A closet built in. This is a great way to turn a boring closet with only hanging clothes into something you can really utilize. Adding drawers and shelves frees up space elsewhere, and gives you more storage capabilities. A great closet built in adds a lot of home value, especially because of how much people rely on storage space.
There are two ways to undertake a closet built in: order one online or do it all yourself. Even ordering one online will involve a lot of working putting it together, but it will save you some time in that you won’t have to cut wood, paint, etc. But by building your own from scratch, you get a lot of design freedom and can really create your perfect closet. You will also likely save some money, as pre made closet built ins are often a tad pricey. It’s pretty much up to your personal preference, and how much work you want to put in.
One of our founder’s, Kristina, designed and built a closet with her partner, Eric, and it turned out incredible (pictured)! They DIYed the entire thing. While it took a lot of time and work, the end result is awesome, and definitely saved them a lot of money. They spent $700, if they had purchased a custom closet it would have cost around $2k.
7. Smart Home
Adding smart home features to your house is a great way to add value and home buyers are always impressed when walking through a home with a Nest thermostat over something that has been there since the 80’s. It often gives buyers peace of mind that they don’t need to replace things like this.
Things such as smart thermostats, smoke detectors, security systems, locks and lighting are incredibly cool features, and they’re something you can install yourself! You don’t necessarily have to add every single smart home feature (of course you can if you want) — just pick the few that you want to invest your time and some money into.
As security is an incredibly important thing to most potential buyers, if you were to focus on one smart home feature, we’d suggest smart security systems and locks. It’s a great way to instill confidence in a buyer that they are moving somewhere safe, and can definitely greatly increase their interest in your home.
