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And why you should hire an interior designer to do it.
Hey everyone!
It’s always important to concern yourself with the value in what you’re doing to your home, whether you’re considering eventual resale or you’re designing your forever home. If there is any indication you might move one day, upgrades to your home shouldn’t just be considered aesthetic decisions, but also financial ones. Usually a home is a person’s largest asset and we would never intentionally devalue our assets. An interior designer is the best person to help you reflect your personality within your home while also adding value!
The kitchen is the most valuable room in your home
The kitchen really is the heart of the home. For most of us, whether we cook or not, it’s where we spend the most time. If you plan on living in your home until your great grand-babies bury you under a rose bush in the backyard, you’ll still want a beautiful and functional kitchen. If you eventually plan to move, this is the room that will help you sell your home. So regardless of your intentions, if you have some money to renovate or make upgrades, and your house is in otherwise great shape, most designers, realtors, etc. will tell you to start here.
Hiring an interior designer for this can help streamline the process, maximize your space and budget, and include all your wish list items. A designer will also help you navigate any problems that arise or avoid them all together.
After kitchens, bathrooms have the most added value
Bathrooms come in second for biggest return on renovation investment. You don’t have to demo your bathroom down to the studs to make updates. Convenience and aesthetic updates will make a huge difference in how you enjoy the space and how other people perceive it.
An interior designer can help you make the most of your space. More importantly they can help you set and stick to a budget whether you’re renovating or just updating. Stuff goes wrong, and oftentimes decisions need to be made on the fly. Even the best planned and executed renovations have pitfalls. An interior designer can help you navigate those and have back up plans ready to go for situations that arise.
There is so much value in a first impression
A really great first impression makes a huge difference in the value of your home. You’ll hear designers and realtors alike talk about curb appeal. Fresh exterior paint, a clean driveway, landscaping, etc. will all help to not only make your house look great but show well, too. I’m a firm believer in realizing your home’s potential while you’re living in it. Every decision you make shouldn’t just be about your home’s value, but also about you enjoying it as much as you can while you’re in it.
An interior designer is a great person to help coordinate your exterior with your interior. They can help you pick the right paint colors and finishes to enhance your home's curb appeal, while a landscape designer will be the best hire to get your yard looking its best.
4. Functional storage makes all the difference
I think large closets are more valuable than large rooms, and functional storage is as important as aesthetics. A home with lots of functional storage will always look better. It’s easier to live in a home with good storage, and it will show a lot better if you ever go to sell. One of the first things a realtor will tell you to do when selling your home is to declutter, and clean. A messy, clutter filled home screams to buyers that you don’t have adequate storage and they will have a hard time envisioning it working for their family any better. And let’s be honest – it’s probably not working for you either if it’s a hot mess.
Hiring a designer will help you achieve your goals for functionality and style. They can maximize every inch of space in your home whether you’re building or fixing design flaws in your home’s original layout. Having the right plan in place will help you avoid costly mistakes, and achieve all of the stuff on your wish list without sacrificing functionality.
5. Fixtures and finishes have the most added value for the smallest price tag
If a major overhaul isn’t in the cards, updating fixtures and finishes to reflect your style and add character creates a ton of value. An otherwise clean, organized home will benefit greatly from updates like cabinet and door hardware, lighting, mirrors, good quality blinds or shades, etc. These finishing touches will help bring personality to your home so you love it, but also help it to stick out from the builder grade finishes of other listed homes.
An interior designer can help you execute your vision, especially since they have a lot of knowledge about what products are high quality, what the best deals are, where to shop, and how to mix and match what you have with what you want to buy. They also know what is going to add the most value to your home versus what is probably a waste of your money. Designers will work in conjunction with your contractor to make sure everything is on site when it needs to be and that there are no avoidable delays on your project.
6. Enhance what you already have for the most return
Staying true to a home’s roots will pay you back in the long run. Don’t try to cover up a home’s character. You’re not going to be able to please every buyer, but if you create a timeless home with its own unique look the right buyer is going to fall in love with it and you’ll love it while you’re in it. Big ticket items you don’t necessarily want to replace, like flooring for instance, should be enhanced with the right paint colors and decor. Don’t try to compete with this stuff – you’ll end up getting a look that feels off. Also, a fresh coat of the right paint will make everything look crisp, clean, and newer.
If you hire an interior designer you get the benefit of their creative eye in addition to someone helping to oversee your project. A contractor might be able to deliver you a beautiful space, but did they account for furniture placement? Does the trim they're installing match the home's identity or does it look out of place? A lot of my job is coming in and finding creative ways to plan or enhance a difficult space, when if designed properly from the beginning that wouldn’t be an issue. An interior designer can help you achieve your home’s highest potential.
7. Furniture and decor that fits your space will add value
Obviously the home’s square footage will directly affect the price, but your home is going to look and feel a lot more spacious, and likely show better when you’re selling, if your stuff is the proper scale.
An interior designer can maximize the square footage of your space expanding on what already exists and adding value with appropriate furniture placement, artwork, storage etc. so the rooms function to the best of their ability.
When considering upgrades to your home you don't want to focus solely on value. Your house should bring you joy and reflect your own unique tastes and personality. With that said, if you love it, it functions well for you, maximizes its square footage, and provides modern conveniences, you probably added a ton of value to your biggest asset without even realizing it.
Cheers to good aesthetic decisions that will also gain equity!
xoxo
Alyssa
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