If you’ve just reached retirement age, then firstly – congratulations! After a long career, you may (quite rightly) deserve a break. However, before you can sit down and relax in your cherished home, you may want to consider some home renovations.
Your retirement can be the perfect time to do those home renovations that you’ve always dreamed of. Not only that, but you may need to adapt your home to make it more future proof.
To help you decide on which renovations to complete in your time off, we’ve rounded up some of the best home renovations to do during your retirement – and why you should consider them.
Table of Contents
Why is retirement a good time to renovate your home?
Once you’ve retired, you’ll have lots of free time that can be used to complete longer projects. With work no longer limited to weekends, you may feel brave enough to tackle some of the more difficult jobs.
Not only that, but you’ll have access to more money after a career of working hard. If you’re considering home renovations, you can either use money from your pension or opt for an equity release from your home to fund the home renovations.
The best home renovations to do
You may not have expected the garden to be on the home renovation list, but for retirees, the garden is an essential space where you can spend time and relax outside. Or if you’re green fingered, can become a great hobby! Having a comfortable garden that you can spend time in is important during your retirement.
You may want to look into things such as decking, fencing raised beds or even some outdoor lighting. You’ll be surprised at how much a difference this makes.
As you’ve reached retirement age, you may also want to consider renovating rooms to include new accessibility features. Although you may be fine getting up the stars and getting in the shower now, towards the end of your retirement you will be happy you took the time to add more accessibility features into your home. Think about adding additional handrails, ramps and toilet safety frames, whilst removing obstacles that could cause tripping hazards.
Renovations that add the most value to your home
If you’re serious about home renovations, then it’s important to know that not all renovations were made equal. We’ve selected our top four profitable home renovations that will add more value onto your home if you decide to sell, or even for your next in kin who receive the home.
1-) Redecorate and complete easy upgrades
Decorating can increase the value of your home and is a relatively easy fix. As a starting point, give the walls a fresh lick of paint and to refresh dirty or peeling paint.
2-) Replace doors
A seemingly simple fix, a classy and sophisticated door can make your home appear more valuable. According to research, blue is the best colour to paint your front door when re-selling, so you may want to keep this in mind when choosing your colour palette!
3-) Renovate your kitchen
Another great way to renovate your home (if budget allows!) is to renovate the kitchen. Nowadays, a modern open-plan kitchen is a firm favourite with buyers. So if you can afford it, it’s a great investment.
Also, by having a new kitchen, you’ll make entertaining a breeze. All of which you’ll have more time for now that you’re retired.
4-) Add or update a bathroom
Last but certainly not least, another great way to add value is with a new and improved bathroom. If your bathroom is looking a little tired, consider updating it to be more modern.
If you’re going down this route, it’s a good idea to add in some accessibility features while you’re at it!
Although it can be tempting to sit back and relax when you reach retirement age, it’s actually the perfect time to renovate your home. Although it can seem daunting, the good news is that you can make some big changes with relatively little effort to ensure you can keep enjoying your beloved home for years to come.