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Chances are your home is the most expensive investment you’ll make in a lifetime. However, it isn’t a sunken cost. It provides shelter, a spot to entertain, and a place to raise a family. While those are some excellent aspects of owning a home, you should also remember that it’s a way to earn some cash if you ever decide to sell. That’s why it’s important to keep up on maintenance, and if possible, add value to your home. If you’ve never considered ways to increase the value of your Westminster, Maryland, home, here are a few tips to get you started.

Take Care of the Yard

Your yard and home exterior are the first things that people see when they arrive or drive by your house. As first impressions, it’s important to keep both looking their finest. While many homeowners turn to lawn care companies for yard and gardening solutions, it’s not all that difficult to do on your own. Lawn care companies provide easy ways to maintain your lawn at a fraction of the price.

If possible, you should begin your lawn care journey in early March. This is when you should put down a pre-emergent fertilizer to prevent weeds from sprouting and feed your lawn. A pre-emergent doesn’t allow seeds to germinate, so if you need to patch some bare spots, make sure to keep this fertilizer out of those areas. Late March and early April are perfect times to lay down some grass seed as temperatures warm and the threat of frost disappears.

Around Memorial Day, apply a weed and feed fertilizer to your lawn to remove any extraneous weeds. Follow this up with a general lawn food application around the Fourth of July. Make certain that you don’t use weed and feed or any other lawn weed killer at temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do, you risk burning the lawn.

Around Labor Day, plunk down some extra seed and a winterizer fertilizer. If you manage to do all these steps properly, you’ll have a thick, lush lawn that’s the envy of the neighborhood.

Keep Up on HVAC Maintenance

Your HVAC system keeps you comfortable all year long, and it’s also one of the biggest single investments a homeowner can make. So make sure to give it some extra attention twice a year. Schedule one tuneup in spring and one in fall. During these tuneups, we’ll inspect every aspect of your heating and air conditioner, prep them for the particular season, and tell you about any potential problems or maintenance you may need in the future. Not only will your HVAC system last longer, it will cut your energy costs dramatically.

Install a Smart Thermostat

Over the past five years, homeowners have rushed out to buy smart thermostats. These handy devices act similarly to programmable thermostats, but they learn your behaviors in the process and tweak them to provide more comfort and savings. In addition, many have Wi-Fi capabilities. By downloading an app, you can change the temperature of your home from anywhere in the world provided you have an internet connection. There’s no more worry if you go on vacation to Jamaica and forget to turn the thermostat down. Simply open the app on your phone and do it remotely.

Because smart thermostats save you money and are far more efficient, home buyers have started to look for these devices as part of their home checklist. Make sure to hop on board and enjoy the comfort and savings that only this new technology can bring.

Improve Indoor Air Quality

The air you breathe in your home is actually a valuable asset. However, many products can hinder the air quality in your home. If you have carpet, you need to have them professionally inspected. Old carpet can hold years of debris or pet dander. When disturbed, it spews harmful particles into the air that you inhale. If a thorough carpet shampooing won’t do the trick, it’s time for a replacement. New home decorating trends include replacing carpet with hardwood and linoleum flooring. Both are environmentally friendly, look higher-end than carpet, and are easier to clean. Once you have them replaced, your modernized home will also provide better indoor air quality because these alternative floorings do not attract and hold allergens the way carpet does.

Bathroom Upgrades

A well-lit, inviting bathroom is a surefire way to add value to your home. Unless you have a themed bathroom that’s going for that punk rock venue look, it’s best to update with modern lighting, a vanity, and plumbing fixtures. This upgrade can cost from a few hundred bucks to several thousand dollars. You know your budget better than anyone, so use it to determine which upgrades should happen soon, and which can wait.

Cheaper fixes include adding a coat of paint or replacing old or ratty-looking wallpaper. Taupe, gray, charcoal, sky blue, and even a light pink are all hot colors in the industry right now. However, you should also remember what colors your accessories are, so you don’t have to do a total overhaul of towels and other items.

A new vanity, lighting, or toilet will also add appeal and value to your home. Vanities and sinks help blend the room with the walls, while finding the right size makes the bathroom appear larger. There are many options for new toilets, and many homeowners choose efficiency. To save money on water, look for the ENERGY STAR logo on any toilet you buy. If you want to go high-tech, several toilet companies now offer self-cleaning units that sanitize themselves quickly if you’re short on time. And if the bathroom is part of a home addition or it simply isn’t ventilated or cooled well enough, consider installing a ductless system to mitigate these issues. 

Exterior Considerations

You don’t have to make drastic changes to your home to make it more valuable. Sometimes all you need is some extra care. If you have siding, it may have become stained by trees and vegetation over the years. However, a thorough cleaning isn’t as far off as you may think. If the staining is light, you can grab a bottle of vinyl siding cleaner that hooks onto your hose. With this, you can spray off the debris. There are also brushes available to remove any stubborn spots.

For homeowners with decks, a little attention to detail will breathe new life into it. Dull-looking decks are usually the result of a lack of sealant or paint. Plus, unsealed decks are far more susceptible to rot. To amend the situation, head over to a home improvement store and buy some sealant. When you’re done, your deck should look like new.

Upgrade the Kitchen

A kitchen upgrade is still one of the most valuable things you can do to your home. Replacing old cabinetry, countertops, appliances, and fixtures top the list, although a new paint job is also a strong consideration. Trends in the kitchen design industry point to stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, and dark-colored cabinets as the preferred items in your kitchen.

You can save tons of money here by making the switch to quartz. Although some people may prefer granite or marble, quartz has some qualities that make it a better alternative. It’s engineered to withstand heat, scratches, cuts, and stains, and is also easier to maintain than other stones.

Appeal to the Baby Boomers

With more than 76 million Baby Boomers hitting their senior years, home appeal is gradually trending toward their needs. This doesn’t mean that you have to make your home reminiscent of your grandma’s. However, adding amenities that are helpful to others may make it easier to sell your home in the future if you so desire. This includes walk-in showers, comfort-height toilets, and master bedrooms on the main floor. If your neighborhood is trending toward an older generation, or you’re a baby boomer, these upgrades are inexpensive ways to improve your home.

Adding value to your home doesn’t take weeks and months of contractors, blueprints, and total renovations. Instead, it just needs commitment and dedication to taking your investment to the next level. While there are some aspects you can take care of on your own, the rest are best left to professionals. If you’re searching for an HVAC specialist with experience and know-how, call Griffith Energy Services today at 888-474-3391.

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