In today’s market, home sales are a rocky business. Many people find themselves in a situation where they’ve lost a ton of equity, and they may even be upside down on their home loan. When that happens, you may feel as though there’s not a whole lot you can do except wait out the storm and hope for the best.

The good news is that there may be some way to increase your home’s value, even in this economy. Home improvements that increase your home’s value are almost always a good idea, but some home improvements are more likely to pay off than others. The trick is being able to figure out which improvements help your home’s value the most.

The Basics

There are some home improvements that just can’t be overlooked if you’re going to sell your house anytime soon. You need to deal with structural issues. You need to consider work roof, if it needs it. You need to make sure that everything mechanical, from the air conditioner to the garbage disposal, is working the way it’s supposed to.

Kitchen Improvements

One of the quickest ways to increase your home’s value is by improving the kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of a house, for many buyers. Paint it, wallpaper it, and refloor it. Stain your cabinets, and replace old cabinet hardware that looks like crap. Just make sure you use high-quality materials and go for perennial design themes rather than the latest trend. A kitchen update will recoup around 80 percent of its cost, and you get a better kitchen in the meantime.

Add Functional Space

Converting a basement or attic space into usable living space will have a similar payout. It’s also a hell of a lot cheaper than adding on to the home. Whether it’s adding a family room to the basement or putting a bedroom in the attic, you’re going to recover most of your cost when the home sells.

Replacing Windows

If you’ve got older windows, chances are you can save some money right now by replacing them. Not only does replacing windows recover about 81 percent of the cost of replacement, you’re also going to recoup some of that cost right away in the way of energy bills.

Outdoor Improvements

Things like pools, decks and gardens will all help to draw potential buyers in. They don’t always directly increase your sale price, but they do make it more likely that your home will sell. In this economy, that’s a huge asset.

Photo via Brock Builders