Whether it’s time to sell and move on to greater things, or your home is just in need of a serious revamping, boosting the value of your property is always going to be in the back of every homeowner’s mind. 

The only trouble is, how do you add value to your home without breaking the bank? It’s common knowledge that generally speaking, you have to spend money to make money, but how much do you have to spend in order to get the best return?

Your best bet is to think outside the box. If you can spend small sums of money as strategically as possible, you’ll not only save yourself some big bucks, but you’ll be increasing your property’s appeal in unique ways that most vendors would never have considered.

So if you’re after clever ways to add value to your home without breaking the bank, this is the article for you. Let’s get to it!

  1. Green thumb = a golden opportunity

Many people selling their home vastly underestimate the value that a beautiful garden can bring. When it comes to professional landscaping, it can be easy to spend a small fortune, and oftentimes many homeowners overspend where they don’t need to. If you’re hoping to install an authentic Japanese zen garden or small vineyard then $10k probably won’t get you very far. However, when it comes to buyer’s appeal, you really just need to aim for attractive, functional, and unique. Plant some stunning ornamental trees, add a small outdoor decking area, or put in a line of bamboo fencing around the perimeter of your yard for added elegance and bonus privacy points.  

If you fancy yourself a green thumb, then one of the best things you can do is to start a quality veggie patch. Not only is this going to save you money in the long run by cutting down on your grocery bills, when done neatly, it can add a very unique element to your home that not many homes will have. It is also one of the cheapest ways of transforming an otherwise useless yard into a functional, charming, and money saving value booster.

  1. Sell big with solar

Solar panels instantly add value to a property since the buyer will benefit big time from significantly reduced power costs. Solar panel technology is also advancing more and more each year, so not only are they getting cheaper to buy and install, they’re becoming significantly more efficient. Australians are paying more for energy than ever before with power prices only continuing to soar, so a home on the market with a decent solar system is going to be highly sought after. 

  1. Revitalise your tiles

This might seem like a rather trivial thing to focus on when it comes to boosting the overall value of your home, but you’d be surprised. Statistics often show that an attractive bathroom is considered to be one of the most coveted elements that homebuyers look out for and will often make or break a sale. 

Now, with a mere $10k to work with, it’s unlikely that you’ll manage a complete renovation overhaul, but this isn’t the only way to spruce up dank and dingy tiles. The most obvious solution is to get down on your hands and knees and start scrubbing your little heart out, which is never a bad idea! However, tile paint is one of the most underrated products out there that is going to make your bathroom, laundry, and kitchen tiles look brand spanking new and will cost you next to nothing. Tile paint is readily available from hardware stores and will take a bit of time, effort, and a few tools to get the job done, but the result will make you wonder why you hadn’t thought of doing this sooner. 

  1. The kitchen is king

Along with the bathroom being one of the most most important rooms that a buyer looks out for, the kitchen is equally scrutinised. Again, unless you’re rolling in cash, we don’t expect you to go bankrupt in order to pay for a top to bottom restoration. One of the kitchen’s best (or worst) features are it’s benchtops. A kitchen benchtop is not only one of the more prominent attributes of the room but will likely be the most well-used as well. So a stunning benchtop (or a hideous one at that) is quickly going to draw the eye, and will instantly give prospective buyers a reason to stay or a reason to go. Make them stay.

The best way to refurbish an old and ugly benchtop is to buy yourself a benchtop resurfacing kit. They are very easy to come buy and make for a very cost-effective alternative to more intensive renovations. 

  1. Rainwater tanks that won’t break the bank

Although there are many of us that take water for granted, there is no denying that Australians understand the importance of using water wisely. If you’ve lived through a drought then you know with every fibre of your being the value of saving every last drop. Installing rainwater tanks is not only a fantastic way of saving on water bills and giving yourself access to fresh, unadulterated drinking water, it’s a highly underrated way of boosting value to your home. 

Additionally, grey water systems are another amazing way to recycle your water for use in the garden and that veggie patch you undoubtedly set up earlier. Prospects will immediately see the value of such installations which will not only benefit them in the long run, but appeal to the growing movement of environmentally conscious buyers out there.

So as you can see, you don’t need to spend big to make significant changes that will boost your home’s value, you only need to spend smart.