5 Great Home Improvements You Can Work on This Summer to Add Value to Your Home›

While our work is generally focused to bespoke stair builds and custom indoor handrails, we do have the opportunity to work with a lot of builders and designers in our day-to-day. We thought it might be a great opportunity to share some more renovation inspiration that we’ve noticed homeowners adding to their project queue as we tour the state.   Summer is a great time to work on renovations as well as prime-time for homeowners to increase their curb appeal and get ready for selling while the market is still hot!  After visiting so many beautiful dwellings over the last few months, we’re feeling inspired to add some of these projects in our own homes, too!   Here are 5 great home improvement projects you can work on this summer to add value to your home and create beautiful memories with your loved ones all year long.

Refresh your outdoor landscaping and gardens with an update. New landscaping can really add a lot of value to your home, so whether you’re looking to sell soon or just needing to increase your curb appeal, a trip to the garden center can do you well.  Something as simple as adding a few new flowers, pruning and shaping the shrubbery, and adding a small tree or two can make a big difference on a small budget.  Consider adding some garden edging via resin-cast faux brick.  Swap out dull-hued mulch for something with a vibrant color like a deep ebony black or a bright cedar red to add some drama.  Replace some of your lawn with native pollinator plants such as wildflowers or creeping ground plants to cut down on allergens, support local wildlife and pollinators, reduce lawn maintenance, and cut down on your water bills.

Create some small flower beds around a tree or two for some added visual interest. Minimize your lawn maintenance by eliminating some grass and adding a new flower bed or raised garden box.  Layer some perennial bulbs for all-season color and pizazz from Spring through Autumn in what gardeners call a “bulb lasagna”, staggering bulbs by growing time and adding some currently-blooming annuals on top while the others grow beneath it.  Breaking up that suburban monotony and sea of football-field style grass lawns can really set your home apart from the rest with just a few plants!

Pressure-wash your home’s exterior like siding and brick, as well as any outdoor patio areas.  Autumn and winter can take their toll on your home with a build up of mildew, grit, and grime. Not to mention, that early Spring pollen can really stick to surfaces and give them an unsightly green-hued appearance.  Before you put your home on the market, or even if you’re just looking to get that “brand new” feeling in your current home, pressure-washing is a great option to freshen things up without breaking the bank.

Renting a pressure washer and giving everything a thorough cleaning with environmentally friendly cleansers can make your home look sparkling clean and new.  Just avoid pressure-washing stucco material and wood unless you’re going to invest in redoing those, as heavy pressure can cause damage or strip paint and stains.  If you’re not up to the task yourself, there are plenty of local contractors with experience who can get the job done safely, generally priced by the square foot.

Upgrade your outdoor spaces with some new features.  Adding an in-ground fire pit can really add a lot of character and personality to your home, as well as creating a wonderful communal space for your household.  Adding an outdoor kitchen or barbecue area can create a great family-friendly experience for summer recipes and a chance to enjoy the fruits of your labor in the home veggie garden!  Pizza ovens are rising in popularity, too, for that wood-fire or charcoal-grilled taste of takeout at home on a budget!

In-ground fire pits are fairly easy to DIY with a little elbow grease.  This low-maintenance addition to your home creates a beautiful focal point for your home, as well as a fantastic activity for summer nights.  An in-ground fire pit also presents an opportunity to expand your patio area, add more seating and personalize your exterior design aesthetics.  We’ve already touched on improving your landscaping, but we’ll take that one step further – creating a paver or stone walkway or path to your new fire pit or gardens is another DIY-friendly project that adds a lot of personality and character to your home, and an invitation to explore the outdoors in your backyard.

If you’ve got younger family members, now’s also a great time to add a small swimming pool or playground equipment to your backyard. Your family will enjoy the change of scenery and get some physical activity to boot with the simple addition of a sandbox, swingset, bocce court, or even a pet-friendly play area.  An above-ground pool allows you to enjoy a taste of summer swimming without having to leave your home on a costly vacation or road trip; there are also some great temporary pop-up pools on the market at affordable prices that don’t require permanent installation!

Create a designated home office space for a little peace and quiet when working from home.  We all love that summer months mean a lot more daily family togetherness, but there’s no denying that it does change the work-from-home dynamic quite a bit.  While you may be used to spending the school days working from the comfort of your couch or the convenience of the kitchen table, having the kids running amok isn’t conducive to “office productivity”.  Having a dedicated private space for working while your kids have the freedom to run, play, and. well, to simply be carefree kids, which can benefit everyone. Plus, it’s a great addition to the home if you’re considering selling in the future.  Take some time this summer to carve out a space in your home from a guest room or even a finished basement area for a private working nook.

If you’ve got the budget and your property allows for it, an “accessory dwelling unit” or in-law apartment is a great project to build over the summer months. Not only is this a great opportunity to create a separate studio or office, it can double as a guest living space for travelers all year round.  Host your in-laws for the summer, or incoming family during the holidays! The possibilities are endless.

Improve your home’s energy efficiency.  Adding solar panels is a fantastic way to reduce energy consumption, increase your home’s value, and improve your home’s energy rating.  Summer time is prime sunshine season, and we can’t think of a better time to add panels to the roof to store up electricity.  Similarly, installing new windows during nicer weather of late spring and early summer can mean lower energy bills in autumn and winter; likewise, thermal window treatments and room darkening shades can reduce heat absorption and keep your home much cooler.  Swapping out both interior and exterior lightbulbs for energy efficient LEDs, putting outdoor lights on timers, and adding solar-charged lighting to outdoor spaces can save you a lot on electricity costs.

Upgrading your home’s air conditioning from window units, floor fans, and ceiling fans can make a huge cut to your expenditures.  While installing an HVAC system isn’t necessarily a small cost to incur, over time it will save you lots of money in energy-efficient cooling and heating costs.  Emergencies happen, but no one enjoys being stranded in the hot summer months without a properly working air conditioner system; this is also the time when emergency technicians are in highest demand, so be aware that repairs may be facing very long wait times during peak usage seasons.  If you’ve already got an HVAC system installed, you’ll want to bring out a reputable service professional to have the system cleaned, serviced, or upgraded to ensure your home remains energy efficient and cooled properly.