Building a New Home? Here’s How to Add Serious Value!

If you’re thinking of building a new home, start with the end in mind. Even if you plan on staying forever, create it with the type of function and appeal that appeals to everyone (well, lots of people). So, if life circumstances change and you need to sell, you can sit back and enjoy the frenzy as buyers scramble for the highest bid!

When looking at adding value to our home, we can look through two different lenses: homeowner or investor. The reason? Their interests will differ. To maximise the potential of our home, we want to include things that attract both homeowner and investor. After all, you never know who your buyer will be – but you do know you want someone that is willing to pay the highest price!

Look at the averages in your neighbourhood

Take a look at around your neighbourhood and see how many parking spaces, bedrooms and bathrooms most nearby homes have. These numbers set a standard for the market in your suburb. Make sure you match or better these numbers so that your house is as attractive as possible to any potential buyer.

Savvy street appeal

energy-efficient-homes Make your home super-attractive from the get-go. No one wants to apologise for their home, pleading with visitors that it gets better inside! When building a new home from scratch, plan an attractive frontage for your home, using striking materials, contrasts and garden areas. At JFK Custom Homes, we’ve created a collection of home designs exactly with this in mind.

Think sustainable living

Environmental problems are not going away anytime soon! Consequently, sustainable living and eco-friendly homes are a must. Ignore sustainable living and passive design principles, and you may have a very hard time selling your home.

Create a striking entrance

The entrance to your home is the beginning of an emotional journey, so make sure it’s a good one. Your entrance should be clean, uncluttered, inviting and (preferably) striking.

Create at least one standout feature

Put some effort into this! There are plenty of boring houses on the market, but if you want someone to buy your home at the maximum price, make them want to do – and pay – whatever it takes to get their hands on it. If you can’t come up with any ideas yourself, consult with professionals that can. It’ll be well worth the effort. In the meantime, think of the following:

Is there an amazing view? If a view is not obvious, maybe you could discover one if you built up a floor?
Turn something boring into something amazing – think of a side fence, wall or laneway that can be cosmetically enhanced through the right materials( think planking, brickwork or even paint) for massive appeal.
Have a swimming pool? Pay a lighting designer top dollar to give you amazing visual appeal at night.
What about the garden? If your garden plans are a bit ho-hum, again, pay for a landscape designer to come up with some amazingly inventive plans destined to give your home that wow factor – and get people talking.

Go nuts with storage

Everyone wants loads of built-in storage. Let’s face it, it’d be hard to have too much of it, especially with today’s smaller homes built on narrow or small blocks, so build it in.

Include a fantastic kitchen

It’s been said many times – people want great kitchens. And kitchens add serious value to your home. Even if you’re not big on cooking, remember that a lot of others are. Make your kitchen big, or at least big-ish! Include space for cooking and incorporate as many timeless, good-quality appliances as possible. And, make sure your kitchen is a joy for entertaining. Position it close by to alfresco areas, make it attractive and inviting, and consider some welcoming inclusions such as an island bench and barstools.

Make the rooms flow well

No one wants a pokey house or one that’s disjointed with lots of lonely rooms. Today, the trend is to build with more open-plan living space is in mind. And, to plan our rooms so that they flow nicely between each other. To plan a house that flows well, consider questions such as:

How easy is it to get inside from the car to the front door?
Is the garage situated close to the front door – and is there an internal entrance from the garage to the home?
How spacious (and well-designed) is the ensuite?
Have you got good indoor-outdoor flow, which will make it easier and more comfortable to entertain and enjoy?
Are there private, quiet spaces where you can retreat?
Are there enough toilets appropriately placed in the home?

Remember ventilation

Ventilation makes spending time at home far more comfortable. Think of louvres, large windows, large exterior doors and high ceilings to help the air circulate.