Not every custom home design is completed with the goal of making it a forever home for the owners. Even if the sole goal of a new design isn’t to increase the home’s value and get it on the market quickly, it’s important for property owners to consider how long they want to live there.
As a rule of thumb, the longer someone is going to be living there, the more personal they can go with their custom home design. It can be advisable to not get too emotionally tied to the design if you’re planning on selling in the short term.
How Smart Home Design Can Increase Your Home Value
There are many different reasons why people choose custom home design.
For some, it’s about getting their dream home and a space where they can watch their family grow over decades.
For others, it’s an investment, and their eyes are fixed squarely on the market because they have the intention of selling. Property value becomes very important in those cases.
For everyone else, their reasons lie somewhere in between.
Wherever you fall on this spectrum, these intentions should inform your approach to custom home design.
For Living Long-Term
For clients who plan on living out the rest of their lives in their new house, custom home design allows for almost never ending possibilities. It’s an opportunity to create a home that doesn’t just fit your every need, but to incorporate the personal touches you’ve always dreamed of.
When your goal is to live in a custom home for decades, increasing your home’s value isn’t something you need to think about too much or at all.
Want to build a moat around your home? As long as it meets municipal building standards, go for it. Want hot pink kitchen floors? Go for it.
For Selling Quickly
For clients who are looking to build a home that they’ll sell almost immediately with an eye on making some profit on their investment, it can be prudent to avoid design elements that are too out-of-the-box. Eccentric design can impact home value, so looking for timelessness instead of trendiness is advisable, as that will generally mean more potential buyers will be interested.
That doesn’t mean a custom home design needs to be bland or generic. If a client is looking to live in a custom home for two years to avoid capital gain tax before selling, they can still inject some personality into the design without impacting property value.
Try to consider whether those elements can be affordably replaced, though. A kitchen counter can be replaced, for example, but new flooring can price out potential buyers.
For a Time Period In-Between
If you’re looking to live in a home for 5-10 years or aren’t entirely sure how long you’ll be living there, that’s when it’s important to find a balance between personal preferences and how to increase home value.
While custom home design in these cases should consider what a future purchaser might want, it should still incorporate enough uniqueness that it feels like a home to you. You will be living there, after all, and even if it isn’t for the rest of your life, you should still be looking to include the personal touches that meet your needs and lifestyle.
When considering how to increase home value, remember that while you won’t renovate the entire home before selling, you may be able to change certain design elements to increase marketability.
What to Consider When Designing a Custom Home for Increased Home Value
Design Choices with a Wide Appeal
Just because you’re looking to design a custom home and sell it within a few years, that doesn’t mean every element needs to be simple or safe. But it’s smart to remember marketability as you make decisions about what features to include.
There are a few things to keep in mind:
- Open Floor Plans: Open floor plans are very popular and allow buyers to get creative with how they use space.
- Timeless Kitchens & Bathrooms: Kitchens and bathrooms can be expensive to renovate or replace, so it can be best not to get too eccentric in those spaces when you’re considering how to add value to those spaces
- Extra Bedrooms: Including extra bedrooms that can also be used as home offices or a workout area can meet the needs of many potential buyers.
Where to Include Personal Touches
Even if you’ll only live in your custom home for a few years, that doesn’t mean you need to opt for only the most widely appealing design features. You still have to live there, and adding a little personality won’t necessarily hurt your home value.
The key is always finding a balance. Lighting, carpeting, or paint can all be customized both when you’re designing your home and when you’re looking to sell, so there’s no need to feel like you can’t put personal touches into your custom home design just because you’ll be putting it on the market relatively quickly.
Trendy vs. Timeless
While Instagram and Pinterest can provide exciting inspiration as you plan your custom home design, they can also be a hindrance when considering how to add value to your house.
What’s popular in design on social media one day might be out-of-vogue the next, so even for clients who are looking to sell in just a few short years, it’s smart to avoid being too beholden to trends.
That doesn’t mean being boring, but a timeless or classic design is often more appealing when we think about higher home value.
The Value of Outdoor Spaces
Curb appeal is a big part of selling a home, so it’s vital in custom home design that we consider outdoor spaces as well as the architectural and interior design elements. For custom home design with a future sale in mind, it’s important to make sure you make a great first impression.
That can include everything from landscaping to patios or outdoor spaces specifically tailored toward family dinners, as well as manicured lawns and gardens.
Increase Your Home Value with Ellergodt Design
Whether you’re building your forever home or are looking to sell in the next couple of years, Ellergodt Design’s team has been designing custom homes that meet the goals, needs, and dreams of Calgarians for over two decades.
We’ve designed homes that families live and grow in and have extensive experience designing custom homes with selling in mind.
Contact us today to get started on your dream home.