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Ways to Improve your Home Instead of Moving

Improve your Home Instead of Moving – If your home no longer meets your needs, you may think that the only option is to move, but this could be an expensive decision. However, there a number of ways that you could improve your home, enabling you to stay where you are, whilst enjoying the benefits of an upgrade.

 

 

Ways to Improve your Home Instead of Moving

 

 

How to raise funds for your home improvements

Making improvements to your home is a good investment, as it will be reflected in the increased value of your property. But what is the best way to fund the changes?

Taking out a secured loan or second mortgage, will enable you to raise the funds that you need, whilst spreading the cost out over a number of years. This is often a better option than re-mortgaging, particularly if you are currently on a low fixed rate of interest on your main mortgage.

Using a second charge mortgage calculator will enable you to see how much you could raise to cover your home improvements and the monthly repayment costs. This will allow you to fix the term of the loan to fit with your budget. You could even take the opportunity to repay other existing debts at the same time, that are on a higher interest rate, by rolling them all into a single loan. That way you could be enjoying your improved home at the same time as reducing your current monthly loan repayments.

So, what are the best ways to improve your home, whilst adding to its value?

 

Building an Extension

If you’re thinking of moving house because you need more space, perhaps more bedrooms, or a work from home space, have you thought about an extension first?

This is of course dependent on the type of property you live in, as it probably isn’t possible if you live in a terraced house, for example. But if you live in a detached or semi-detached property then this is definitely something that you can look into.

It’s very likely that you’ll need planning permission to do this, but in most cases, planning is easy to get for small residential extensions. You could look at a single-storey or double-storey extension, depending on how much space you have and need. This will give you the flexibility to add downstairs space and potentially more bedrooms or office space upstairs.

 

Adding a Conservatory – Improve your Home Instead of Moving

Adding a conservatory is another good, and potentially easier, way of adding more living space to your home. In a lot of cases, you won’t need planning permission in order to add a conservatory, however this is dependent on how much ground it will cover, so make sure that you check before starting the project.

 

Adding a Loft conversion

Where there isn’t the space to build on an extension to your property, adding a loft conversion can add between 10 – 20% to the value of your home. It may also cost less than an extension and if it is below a certain size it will fall under permitted development, so you won’t need planning permission.

Also, unlike an extension, a loft conversion won’t eat into your valuable outside space, something that most people really value in a home.

 

Replacing your Kitchen or bathroom

Kitchens and bathrooms are often one of the main selling points of a house, so money invested here is well spent and will be reflected in the value of your home should you decide to sell in the future.

In the meantime, you can enjoy a brand-new kitchen or bathroom whilst you live in the property. Kitchens in particular, tend to be one of the focal points in a home, with many of us spending a large proportion of our time there. Converting the current kitchen to a kitchen / family living space, is a really popular way to create a hub to your home which is at the centre of family life.

 

Improving your home’s energy efficiency

If you live in an older property with poor insulation or an out-of-date heating system, then your heating bills could be going through the roof at the moment. It might be tempting to move to a newer property, but investing in some energy efficient changes to your home could really help to bring your bills down.

A new boiler might seem like an expensive option but it could save you up to 23% on your gas bills and will definitely be a selling point in the future if you decide to move. Modern condensing boilers are far more efficient, so you can enjoy a warm home for less. There are lots of options available when it comes to buying a new boiler, with some offering terms over 4 years to help to spread out the costs, so it is worth shopping around to find the best deal.

 

 

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