Anyone looking to improve their homes in 2013 should look at a few key areas across their property, from making significant changes, to adapting your home to be more energy and eco conscious; this can be achieved in a number of ways and can go hand in hand with freeing up space around your home as well as with renovating key rooms. Making these changes can ultimately help to boost the value of your home while also making it more comfortable and cost effective.

Declutter

It can be easy to let clutter build up around your home whether that means filling up a garage or basement with old items or not clearing out cupboards on a regular basis. Living in the same house for a long time will mean that you will gradually fill up your available space which can make it difficult to make changes.

A cluttered home can also put off prospective buyers. Decluttering can consequently involve going through different rooms and either throwing out, recycling, or selling items: old DVDs and books can be sold online, and, in some cases, mobile phones and other electronics can be recycled for cash.

Renovate Key Rooms

By focusing on key rooms around your house you can make a stronger impact on your property’s overall decor and its appeal to buyers. The main rooms to focus on include the kitchen, bathroom, and the master bedroom. Kitchens can be improved by removing central islands to create space and by installing granite counter tops; you can improve bathrooms by creating walk in showers or by fully converting spare bathrooms into waterproof wet rooms. For master bedrooms, repainting and replacing curtains with roller blinds can help to increase the effect of available light.

Be More Eco Conscious

There are many ways in which you can make your home more eco friendly. These ways can range from recycling more to using less water; devices can be fitted to taps to limit water usage while a water meter can be more cost effective than relying on local averages. You can also start a compost heap in the garden and use recycled newspaper as insulating material in lofts to reduce heat loss

Switch Energy Providers

If you’ve been using the same energy provider, or providers, for several years, it can be a good idea to switch at the start of 2013. Look around for deals and be mindful that energy prices as a whole are set to rise during 2013. Providers that combine gas and electric prices and that can offer you incentives for switching are available.

Make Lots of Small Changes

Rather than making large-scale changes to your home it can sometimes be more efficient to focus on a range of small renovations around a property. These renovations might include fixing broken taps, replacing light fixtures, and getting rid of old curtains. Minor upgrades, which can involve hanging new art, or switching the lighting scheme in rooms to include lamps and dimmer switches, can help to boost value and add personality to rooms.

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Author Bio: Liam Ohm writes about home improvement, from estate agents in Maidstone to how to make your home eco-friendly. In his spare time he enjoys travelling and networking.