If your current home isn’t your forever home, it’s smart to think ahead to make improvements that are not only for your own quality of living, but for future resale. Find savvy ways to improve your home and you stand to make the best possible return on your investment.

But what are the best areas of your home to invest in? Here are the five home renovations you should put at the top of your list.

5 ways to improve your home (and increase its value)

1. The kitchen

The kitchen is often the heart of a home, which makes it one of the most important areas of a home to invest in.

A kitchen should be modern, bright, and welcoming. While looks are incredibly important,for the kitchen, function comes front and center.

If a complete kitchen overhaul is out of your budget right now, updating finishes, fixtures, appliances, and cabinetry is your next best option.

2. The bathroom(s)

Renovating a bathroom can be a headache. Which is why prospective buyers are always super excited to find bathrooms that require absolutely no renovation work on their part.

A new, contemporary bathroom is obviously the way to go. But if a more affordable fix is what you’re after, try updating paint, hardware, and plumbing fixtures. If you have a little more to spend then focus on new tile, vanities, medicine cabinets, lighting, or flooring.

3. The primary suite

Ready for more ways to improve your home? Take a look at the primary suite and ask yourself if it could use an update. If your home doesn’t already have a primary suite, consider adding one.

In our new home designs, we typically create a primary suite with vaulted ceilings, walk-in closets (sometimes one for each spouse), and a primary bath with either a separate tub and shower or a wet room.

Want to really add that wow factor? Add a private deck to your primary suite to bring the outdoors in. Which leads us to our next point…

4. Indoor-outdoor flow

Open plan living areas — with inter-connected kitchen, living, and dining areas — are still highly sought after.

What makes this kind of space even better? An indoor-outdoor connection. We create a layout which flows out onto a landscaped garden, an exterior deck, a patio with a fire pit, or even an outdoor kitchen.

5. The square footage

There’s no getting away from the value of square footage. The square footage of a property accounts for around 1/3 of the property value in the Los Angeles and Culver City area.

Families tend to want comfortable room sizes, a minimum of 2000 square feet, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms.

Ticking these boxes may mean extending your home by adding to the existing footprint. It could also mean creating an ADU (an additional dwelling unit) that sits on the same plot of land.

Either way, you’ll add some serious value.

Looking to invest in your home?

For architectural and construction expertise, get in touch with Letter Four today. You can count on our full Design-Build service for exceptional home renovation, whichever area of your home you choose to invest in.