It’s easy to see a return on your investment for tangible home improvements such as painting or remodeling a bathroom or kitchen. It’s more difficult to put a value on intangible things such as lighting, mood, and use of space. However, these aspects of your home are as essential to your enjoyment, and perhaps even to resale value, as most tangible improvements. Here are four intangibles that will make your home more appealing.
Lighting
via mydomaine.com
Mood lighting is as important to your home as is functional lighting. When in the kitchen cutting vegetables for your Thai curry dinner, you need to be able to see what you’re doing and read the cookbook on the counter. But when sitting at the dining room table enjoying your freshly prepared meal with your family, you don’t need direct lighting glaring down on your dish. Think about mood versus function in your home, and do what you can to still be practical while giving your home that cozy feel. Just changing out some light bulbs to a lower wattage might help.
via Pinterest
Comfort
A consistent and natural temperature in your home is imperative to your comfort, and it’s one of those intangibles that will make a huge difference in the way your home feels. You don’t want Grandma to visit and have to bring her parka along to stay comfortable. A reliable and energy-efficient HVAC system that enables you to maintain a steady temperature and control humidity is essential to your well-being.
via Apartment Therapy
Fragrance
Have you ever stepped into someone’s home and had your nostrils assaulted by a foul smell? Your home’s fragrance is so important that real estate agents often instruct sellers to bake cookies or light vanilla-scented candles to make their homes more appealing to potential buyers. Don’t overdo it, though. Some people are sensitive to overpowering scents, so keep it subtle.
Flow
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Good flow and use of space are other important intangibles that will make your home more appealing. For instance, no one wants to go up two flights of stairs to unload groceries. And the pantry should be in the kitchen, not in the basement. At the minimum, there should be one bathroom for every two occupants. Feng shui is also becoming a popular trend. It’s an ancient Chinese art and concept established more than 3,000 years ago. It shows people how to balance the energies and flow in any space to promote good fortune and blessings for the people living in it.
An inviting and memorable home will make you feel proud. And when visitors compliment you on your living space, it gives you a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, when you spend time on the important intangibles of your home, they can actually add value. The bonus benefit to having a home that is pleasing to guests is that it’s more alluring to you, as well. So, the next time you want to spruce up your home, don’t forget to spend time on the intangibles that will make your house appealing.
