How to Increase Home Value in Connecticut with These Savvy Updates

In 2019, emerging market realities require consideration when you set out to increase your home’s value in Connecticut.

Connecticut is home to some of the oldest homes in the United States. Trendy is not a word typically associated with its stately homes, however, even the finest homes need a makeover periodically. At Academy Granite & Marble our Bethel, CT and Rye, NY team is ready to help you improve the areas of your home that have the most impact on your home’s value and style.

Thoughtful design matters more than the size

The market has been slowly changing to reflect a buyer’s desires to conserve and have the least environmental impact possible. So, instead of looking for ever-larger homes, buyers are looking for homes that make the most sense for their needs and make the best use of space and environmental resources. This is not to say people only want to live in tiny homes, or off the grid. They simply want the homes they inhabit to make sense for how they actually live.

For example, do modern families need a separate formal dining room or great room? Many don’t. However, those spaces can be transformed into practical spaces they will use.

Increase home value in Connecticut by focusing on the important rooms

Kitchens and bathrooms sell houses. This is a timeless truism in real-estate sales. Reasonable investments in these rooms can be very profitable in the long run.

Academy Granite & Marble has extensive experience updating kitchens and bathroom surfaces. Upgrading your countertops with high-quality materials like marble, granite, quartzite, and quartz countertops are well-established ways to increase your home’s equity and style. With our combination of natural stone options and manufactured materials like Caesarstone™, we have the right options for style, practicality, and value.

Today’s buyers are increasingly interested in the flow of floor plans. A remodeled kitchen should be a seamless part of an open floor plan.

An open floor plan would ideally flow into an outdoor space when possible. With more and more people opting for quiet time with their families and staycations, adding an outdoor space will instantly make your home more valuable to buyers. Our selections of quartzite slabs are the perfect choice for outdoor spaces. One of quartzite’s unique attributes is UV resistance. It’s the best-performing natural stone for outdoor use. It’s also a bit of a show-off. With tiny quartz crystals embedded in its matrix, it sparkles when sunshine hits its surface.

Another way to add equity to your home is with a mudroom. Busy families look for this feature when buying a home. Especially in a place like Connecticut, that experiences all four seasons, which brings along wet feet, tracked snow, and muddy shoes. We joke, but it’s a New England reality, made even more challenging if you share your home with children and/or dogs.

Mudrooms can be a small area with just enough space for taking off wet things and dirty footwear, or it can be more elaborate with a sink area, counter space for holding items carried inside, laundry facilities, or even a dog-washing station. For some families adding a mudroom makes a lot more sense than continuing to use available square footage for a formal dining room that’s used three or four times a year.

Elevate what you already love about your home

If you adore something about your home, chances are buyers will swoon over it, too. Can you take that feature to the next level? Could your cozy fireplace, for instance, be transformed into a true focal point with an extraordinary custom marble fireplace mantel, floor-to-ceiling surround or hearth? Is the room perfectly lit, so warm lighting will enhance the new hearth’s glow?

Is your Connecticut home “turnkey?”

When realtors describe your home as “turnkey” they mean that a buyer can move right in without doing any maintenance or remodeling. I.E., your home is move-in ready, just turn the key. Even if you don’t plan to move or sell any time soon, this state of readiness should still be a consideration for you. Your primary focus on an ongoing basis should simply be basic upkeep. As things need repair, repair them. As décor becomes dated; remodel. Ongoing upkeep will allow you to instantly relocate for that dream job in the South of France as a wine taster, or move when quickly when you win the HGTV Dream Home.

You can move in a timely manner and get top dollar for your home. You won’t need to renovate or repair your home before you can sell it or sell it “as is” and accept less than you know your home is worth. Keeping your home in great condition is one way to increase your home value in Connecticut, and it can have continuous benefits. If you wish to refinance or borrow against your equity, your house will always be ready if a lender requires a home appraisal.

Ongoing maintenance has an additional upside. Major catastrophes are often averted when problems are spotted during repairs. A new bathroom countertop or shower surround installation could reveal a water leak. An electrician adding a light fixture might discover a fire-hazard in your electrical panel.

Smart buyers are looking for “Smart” homes

We are getting more spoiled by the day with an overload of information and entertainment options constantly at our fingertips. This trend will increase substantially, and current Wi-Fi capabilities, already strained in homes with multiple users, are not enough to power the next level of demand. 

While addressing the need for enhanced Wi-Fi in your home, there’s also an opportunity to integrate technology designed to automate lighting, security, entertainment and other key home features. When updating your home or building a new one, it’s important to consult with a smart home consultant in Connecticut to get your home wired for the future.

Our team would love to set up a consultation to see your Connecticut home and partner with you to increase its equity and exponentially increase your joy as its current resident. Contact us today.