The majority of American homeowners believe their house is their biggest asset. Would you agree? If so, then taking good care of your property is likely a high priority.

Thankfully, here in the Pacific Northwest, staying on top of regular home maintenance and making smart improvements are proven ways to increase the value of your home over time.

So whether you’re looking to build equity or are ready to sell your home and want top dollar, use these tips below to boost the value of your home.

Upgrade your kitchen and bathrooms

Kitchen and bathroom are high-use, high-traffic rooms and hold high appeal to potential buyers, so updates to these areas offer the greatest return on your investment.

Still, you may not necessarily need to rip your kitchen down to the studs. Smaller home improvement investments can have a serious impact.

Painting your bathroom and kitchen cabinets offers huge ROI

Your cabinets are focal points in your bathroom and kitchen. Brand new cabinets are a major expense (often accounting for 40% of your remodeling budget). Thankfully, there is a much more cost-effective (and sustainable) solution — painting or refinishing your cabinets.

Painting your kitchen cabinets or bathroom cabinets will have a dramatic effect on the overall look of your space. Plus, it’s a great investment that offers up to a 200% return on your investment!

You may be tempted to take a DIY approach, but this is one upgrade that should be handled by a professional. A professional cabinet painting company will know what kind of material your cabinets are made out of (which effects the painting process), what paint products are best, and have the experience and technique needed to get the best result. Plus, they’ll move fast!

Brand new cabinet hardware will be the cherry on top of your refinished cabinets. Together, you have the secret recipe for making an out-of-date kitchen or bathroom feel more modern, bright, and inviting.

Modern countertops are functional and beautiful

Most of your time in the kitchen will be spent at your countertops. They also cover a lot of surface area and make a big difference, visually. This combination of being both functional and design-centric means that they hold a lot of value to potential buyers.

So if your kitchen is sporting an outdated counter, replacing your countertops may be a good idea.

That doesn’t mean you have to splurge on a high-end luxury materials like marble or soapstone. Both granite and quartz options are just as beautiful and even more effective at resisting staining and standing up to abrasion and heat.

Increase curb appeal

Your home’s curb appeal will either attract or turn away potential buyers. But even if a buyer or appraiser can overlook this aspect, poor curb appeal is often the sign of home maintenance issues, which is a fast way to bring down the value of your home.

New exterior paint is a potent upgrade

Painting your home’s exterior is important and a huge value-add for potential buyers. Not only will it drastically improve the look of your home, it will also defend your siding from wear and tear, protecting your home from the Pacific Northwest elements.

To keep your home in good condition, it’s recommended that you paint your home’s exterior on a regular basis. The exact number of years between painting will vary depending on the type of siding on your home as well as the quality of your last paint job.

Here’s a general recommendation:

• 3-7 years for wood
• 5 years for aluminum
• 5-6 years for stucco

Choose a local exterior painting contractor with an excellent warranty who you can trust to deliver the best results. Not only will a highly-rated exterior painter deliver high-quality results that really make you home shine, they’ll also have valuable insight for you on which colors and finishes are most attractive to potential buyers.

Landscaping is good for the health of your home

Making smart landscaping upgrades is the best (and a very easy!) way to increase your home value.

As you set to spruce up your yard, balance the goal of a beautiful home with environmentally-friendly choices for the best results.

For example, strategically planting native trees in your yard can not only add beauty, but provides wind protection, shade, and cool air. In fact, some estimate this can reduce energy costs by as much as 50%.

As you set to plant flowers or trim up your window boxes, consider replacing any annual plants and flowers with perennial foliage to help cut costs.

Don’t forget windows and walls

New windows save you money on energy bills

Old windows in your house can contribute to a huge electric bill — up to 20% higher, according to Energy.gov. This is a big turnoff for homebuyers.

Brand new windows can make a big difference in your home’s resale value. But keep in mind that not all windows are created equal. For the best outcome, choose windows specifically engineered to keep your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Windows are a big investment. If they need some love but replacing them is not an option, you can also opt to repair them. You can replace broken panes and window hardware, add weather-stripping, and repaint frames.

High-traffic walls will benefit from a new coat of paint

Just like the exterior of your home, painting your interior will help maintain your walls and the overall condition of your home. Even if you can live with peeling paint, outdated paint colors, or scratches on the wall, a potential buyer will view this as a reason to devalue the property.

If you don’t want to paint every space in your home, focus on high-traffic areas. This includes:

• Living room
• Kitchen
• Hallways
• Entryway

Keep in mind that DIY paint jobs lead to big mistakes that will only end up costing you more money in the end. If you really want to add value to your home through new paint, make sure to work with a professional.

A professional painting company will include preparing, priming, and painting. Plus, it will come with a warranty.

Let us know how we can help

At Bluenote Painting, our professional and respectful team of painters and high-quality results have helped hundreds of people throughout the Portland area add value to their home.

We handle all types and sizes of home interior and exterior painting projects, including cabinet refinishing and painting.

Contact us today to tell us about your project and schedule a free estimate. We’d love to help.