Property developers, architects and designers add value to homes by experimenting with new features, techniques and ideas. Borrowing some of their ideas and interpreting them in your own property can be a great way of spreading some added value around.
Make it flow
Getting your house to have some sort of overall theme or feeling, so that when you move from one room to another it doesn’t jar, can be an effective way to add value. For instance, you might want to paint all the walls in the house one colour so a ‘journey’ through the house, in designer parlance, will feel right. This doesn’t necessarily mean boring. Often, the effect is far from dull. And you can always add touches of colour or the odd roll of wallpaper to make a space stand out.
See also: An Amazing Space of your Own
Period perfect
If you are lucky enough to be reconstructing a period flat or house that has some of its original features, you can add value to a home by restoring them. A stained glass window is a prime example. It might not be a low cost option but getting a specialist to remove and restore a piece of stained glass will add to the heritage value of the property.
Other period features you might be able to bring back to life are: wooden panelling on the walls, vintage wallpaper, stepping around doors, tiered skirting boards, fireplaces and paint. Cornices, ceiling roses and dado rails are three other popular features you can easily bring back to life. Hanging, or picture, rails look great in a period house and are also wonderfully practical when it comes to hanging your artwork.
Let it shine
Good lighting is something designers and architects have well and truly cracked. Yet many of us are scared to embrace this optical trick to manipulate a room and make spaces really work. You can make an open plan space light and airy during the day, intimate and cosy in the evening, and can have other settings in between. You can’t get these effects several times a day by shifting the furniture around and changing the finishes, so clever lighting is a fantastic option.
See also: Getting Started as a Landlord
