**This is a collaborative post

There are many reasons why people choose to make changes to their home. In some cases, it can be to accommodate a growing family that has increased in size beyond the point where your starter home can really contain them. In other cases, as we’ve seen, it’s a good idea to make a home fit for the future by adding smart tech and making it a little greener. Both of these are excellent reasons, and another is one that we’ll deal with here; adding value to a property you may wish to sell in the future.

There is no reason that these developments need to be made immediately before putting a house on the market. In many cases, they can make a positive difference to the living space you plan to stay in for the foreseeable future. In the long run, though, they can ensure that you make a profit should you eventually wish to move further afield, downsize in the future, or cash in on your current property for any other reason.

Turn your garage into extra living space

If you have a garage attached to your home, then the chances are that at the moment you use it for the purpose it was built for, which is to store your car. You may even have heard that by parking your car in the garage, you lower your insurance premiums – although insurance experts indicate that this may be something of a myth. However, your garage can be of significantly more value to you if you convert it into living space, something which experts say can add as much as 15% to the price of an eventual sale.

Convert your cellar into a multi-use room

Not all houses come with a cellar attached, and homeowners that do have cellars may not realise just how beneficial it is to have extra space beneath their home. Let’s be honest, most of us come to see it as the place where we stash away boxes and old equipment we scarcely use anymore. However, cellars can be the ideal place to begin house extensions, and there is usually enough space down there to turn the area into whatever you wish, from a multimedia suite to a stylish guest bedroom.

Give your kitchen a modern makeover

There is a saying among estate agents along the lines that it’s the kitchen that most often sells a home. It’s understandable that this would be the case, too; after all, whether you’re cooking a meal or hanging out with friends, it’s amazing how often people end up congregating in the kitchen. So it makes sense that if one of the rooms in your house is really going to “wow” people, it ought to be the kitchen. Adding a kitchen island if there is space, or integrating appliances seamlessly into the remodel if not, can make sure your house is the one that stands out to potential buyers in the future. 

These are a few of the potential ideas for adding value to a home. There are more out there, and perhaps you have a few of your own?