An effective way to make your house more saleable is through home improvement. To help you gain an advantage in the ultra-competitive real estate market, Sunday Finance sought advice from industry experts on ways you can add value to your home.

Upgrade your kitchen and bathrooms

A number of realtors say that the kitchen and bathroom are most times the parts of a house which drive a sale.

“It’s proven that the first things that purchasers are turned on to are bathrooms and kitchens,” says Anya Levy, realtor at Valerie Levy and Associates.

So, with return-on-investment on your home weighing heavily on these two rooms, it’s wise to improve them to meet market demand.

According to Levy, buyers prioritise kitchens designed on an open plan. Open-plan kitchens are those where not only cooking but also other family activities – such as watching television, playing card games or doing school work – can take place.

“That’s the layout people are demanding; it’s about the space,” Levy tells Sunday Finance. “A lot of the old homes have closed kitchens, so if you want to enhance the value and modernise, the first thing you should look at is the space.”

While it’s nowhere as critical as the structural layout, the cosmetics of a kitchen – counters and cabinetry – can add decent value to your home, as well. Make sure counters and cabinets are solid and of high quality. Think granite countertops and pine or oak cabinets, or you can go mahogany if money is not a problem.

In terms of bathrooms, as with the kitchen, spaciousness is a key attribute. The double sink is another sought-after feature and, perhaps to the surprise of some, the market is favouring showers over tubs.

“People want the showers; they want to step in and out. Nobody has time to fill up with water in a tub,” notes Levy. “What people are doing when they remodel nowadays is getting rid of the tub and putting in a big shower.”

The bathroom is arguably the most private part of a house. Therefore, it can be difficult to sell a home if the number of bathrooms in it are perceived to be limited. Against this background, Marcia Sterling, valuation co-ordinator at Victoria Mutual Property Services, advises homeowners to add an extra bathroom, if necessary.

Flooring

When deciding on floor coverings, look for tiles or wood rather than carpets, the popularity of which has waned over the years.

“Maintaining carpet, is expensive and a lot of persons are troubled by it, whether it’s their sinuses, allergies, etc,” says Wilton Mayne, a realtor with Remax.

According to Mayne, flooring preferences vary from market to market. Ordinary ceramic tiles are the most widely used, but “on the top end of the market,” he says, “it’s definitely porcelain tiles and wood”.

Solid hardwood floors come in a wide range of styles, such as Cherry or Maple, while porcelain is a unique type of ceramic tile which, because it’s fired at extreme temperatures, is much stronger and harder than ordinary ceramics.

Roofing

There are two purposes for roofs – function and aesthetics.

In terms of aesthetics, clay-tile roofing is arguably the most in demand at the higher-end right now, and will add value to your home.

The function of roofs to protect from the weather is even more important. The replacement costs of roofs are very high, so a home with a faulty roof loses significant value on the real estate market.

“Maintain your roof to ensure it is waterproof,” warns Sterling.

Avoid flat roofs in which water settles. And keep in mind that in a hurricane-prone country such as Jamaica, homes with hurricane straps can add value and lessen property insurance – making them attractive to buyers.

Landscaping

Ensure that your home has ‘curb appeal’.

Levy and Sterling both emphasise the need for homeowners to create and maintain a proper landscape, noting that it can have a big influence on the sale price at the end of the day.

“Landscaping is so vital… it’s key,” says Levy.

More green than concrete is preferred by most. Levy encourages homeowners to plant trees rather than shorter perennials. Sterling adds that fruit trees, in particular, have extra appeal.

Painting

Many Jamaican homeowners love to decorate homes in their favourite colours, which are often very bright. But Levy says that this is not a smart investment if one’s aim is to resell. She encourages persons making improvements to their home to avoid ‘boisterous’ colour schemes because they will likely limit the amount of interested buyers.

“When you are doing anything to enhance the value of your house, don’t do it with you in mind, do it with the purchaser in mind,” advises Levy. “For that, you need a neutral palette… you may love violet and scarlet but what you need to do is make the purchaser come into your space – if you personalise it too much, that won’t happen.”

Don’t overdo it

There is a fine line between “over-improvement” and maintaining and enhancing homes, Levy warns.

“You should enhance the home but, at the same time, you shouldn’t put too much in it to over-improve the home, which is what a lot of Jamaicans tend to do,” she says. “They think that the more they put into the home is the more that they will get out of the home, and that is not so.”

Swimming pools and Jacuzzis are two common items which industry sources argue should be avoided in most home improvement exercises. While a homeowner and his/her family may enjoy these items, many members of the buying public are not particularly attracted to them and may just view having them in the home as mere waste of space. So, while they are costly to instal, they can also make a home more difficult to sell, lessening the prospects of a positive return on your investment.

Also, be mindful of maintaining the overall theme of the house.

“If you have an old home, you don’t want to get an ultra-modern marble tile, for example. You need a tile that blends in with the whole age of the home,” says Levy. “If you are enhancing your home, you have to make sure that it’s enhanced authentically to the style of the home.”

And never upgrade too much above your neighbours.

“No matter how much you put into it, if the market or the neighbourhood cannot sustain that value, when you bring in an appraiser, while he may value it a little more because you have certain improvements, he’s not going to value it for what you put into it,” Levy adds.