Buyers looking for homes in Utah may be looking for specific characteristics in a home due to the prevalence of Mormon (LDS) culture in the state, which values emergency preparedness, gardening, and self-reliance. When it comes to adding resale value to your Utah home, here are five improvements that should be at the top of your list.
Add Food Storage Space
Food security is important to a number of homebuyers in Utah. For example, Mormon families are encouraged to keep on hand a long-term supply of food for every member of the household. For some families, this may require quite a bit of space. A large food storage pantry off the kitchen, and, if there is a basement, a dedicated food storage area with shelving and adequate light is a must. Adding generous areas for food storage to your home is a sure way to increase its sellability in the general Utah housing market.
Plant Edibles and Create Raised Garden Beds
If your landscaping is a bit ordinary, take a cue from D Gary Young and consider sprucing it up with apple trees, blueberry bushes, and other edible or medicinal plants. Ornamental plants may seem like the go-to solution for landscaping around a home, but many homebuyers in Utah will appreciate the practical touch that edible and medicinal landscapes provide. Edible landscaping may be a new concept to you, but don’t be afraid to give it a try. Many beautiful edible landscape design inspirations are available that can add value to your home in the eyes of a great many searching for homes in Utah.
Whether the backyard is small or a larger piece of land, you can create simple raised garden bed spaces that will greatly appeal to the home food grower. They do not have to be elaborate beds, but a couple nice raised beds will suggest the possibility of home gardening to the buyer, and growing healthy food at home is a point of interest for a number of people looking to buy a home in Utah.
Add a Bedroom
Even if your house already has five bedrooms, chances are the buyers looking in your home’s range would appreciate one more room than what you already have. Do you have an attic area that can be converted to an extra bedroom? Before you undertake an expensive addition to your house, think about areas in your home that can be transformed into a legal bedroom space. Creating bedroom space in a finished basement may be an option, or you could transform an underutilized room in the house like a den or home office into a bedroom. It’s important to consider the flow of the home as well as the practical aspects of what legally constitutes a bedroom when adding a bedroom to the existing square footage. Check with your local ordinances to see what is required for a room to be officially considered a bedroom.
Finish the Basement
An unfinished basement can be a great place to add square footage to a home, but for home buyers in Utah a finished basement provides more than just additional square footage: it is a secure location in a home in case of emergencies. For instance, retreating to a basement living space during a storm can add an element of safety to a home. Having a safe location to go to in the case of disasters where retreating underground may ensure added protection is something that is important for some home shoppers in Utah. If your basement is prepared with a kitchenette, ample food storage space, a bathroom, living room, and possibly even a bedroom, this will greatly increase its desirability for Utah home buyers.
An Extra-Large Family Room
Being with family and friends and gathering together in homes to celebrate milestones or just kick back and relax is valued very highly by many Utah residents. If your living room is lacking in square footage this can truly stand as a dealbreaker for a number of buyers. Try adding square footage by removing walls and combining dining room or office spaces into one large family room space. If there are no rooms in the home that can be practically adjoined to the existing living room, consider a small addition. Even a bump out of a few extra feet along an exterior wall of the living room can add quite a bit more space. This may seem like a big task, but it is one that should not only pay off in the Utah house market, it can generate many more potential buyers for you.
While adding an extra bedroom, finishing a basement, or expanding the family room may seem like a monumental task as you look to make improvements to your Utah home in the hopes of selling it quickly and at top dollar, you will inevitably find that such improvements should more than pay off in terms of both the sale price and the speed at which you can sell.
