As the housing market heats up, it's important to make improvements to your property. Here are some of the best home improvements you can make to increase the value of your home.

It's hard to tell exactly how much your home is going to be worth in the next five or ten years. The real estate climate is difficult for anyone to follow, and the economic changes that seem to happen every day could mean that your property could be worth a lot more in twelve months than it is today - or a lot less.

While you can't know for sure how much you're going to be able to sell your house for in the long run, what you can know is that there are many different ways that you can upgrade and improve your house to make it all the more appealing to potential buyers. While any home improvement can be great from a value-added perspective, there are some improvements that are simply more effective than others. 

Maintain the outside of your property for curb appeal

The first step to improving the value of your home is to make sure that you are maintaining it. The outside of your home is an important part of how potential buyers perceive your property. It's important to keep it clean and free of debris. This will make your home look more appealing to potential buyers.

Simple things like having the gutters cleaned regularly on the outside of your home can improve the appearance of your home.  This is because a dirty gutter can make your house look old and unattractive. It can also be a potential safety hazard. Your gutters should be cleaned regularly and you should make sure that they are not overflowing with leaves and debris. Gutters can protect your house from water damage by directing rain water away from your foundation.

A homeowner can also improve their curb appeal by adding a new porch, painting the exterior, jet washing the driveway or installing new landscaping.

Building a conservatory

Today, no matter where you live, everyone's going to want some extra space wherever they can get it. A conservatory is a lot more than just a glass bolt-on that you can add to your house and ignore during the winter months. Modern conservatories can be a naturally usable and valuable space where people can hang out with friends and enjoy the natural light of the great outdoors.

If you're interested in adding more comfort and space to your home almost instantly, then a conservatory could be the perfect solution. Remember, basement conversions and loft conversions could also be a solution for adding extra square footage depending on where you live and what kind of house you have.

Convert your garage

Speaking of adding more space to your property - how often do you actually use your garage? If you're one of the ninety percent of people in the UK who don't use their garage to store their car, then you might want to consider converting it into a spare living space instead. Your garage could give you extra square footage, or even another bedroom to use.

However, if you're thinking about selling your home, it might be a good idea to research the market first and discover what kind of extra room your buyers would benefit from most. For instance, you might get better results converting your garage into an office, than a gym or bedroom.

Get a brand new kitchen or bathroom

If your kitchen or bathroom is looking a little bit outdated lately, then it could be the perfect time to start thinking about making a change. A kitchen can be a powerful way to transform your home, even if you're just adding a few new cabinets and appliances. On the other hand, a lot of people consider the bathroom to be their source of rest and relaxation after a long day - so you might find that a beautiful bathroom helps to bring in the buyers.

Either way, try to choose something that's as neutral as possible. The last thing you want is to opt for a style that's garish and overbearing, as this could mean that you miss out on some buyers who can't see past your decorative choices.

Update your insulation and windows

Finally, when people are looking to invest in a new property, they're looking for evidence that the home is as energy efficient as possible. After all, nobody wants to spend all of their hard-earned wages paying out for expensive energy bills every month. If you haven't upgraded your house in a while, think about installing some new installation or changing out your windows to something a little bit more energy efficient.

You can also consider how energy efficient your doors might be too. This can be a useful way to make sure that you're not only appealing to a wider range of buyers, but also potentially limiting the amount you have to spend on your utility and heating bills while you're still living in your property.

Paying for your home upgrades

If you don't have the savings available to pay for your home improvements, but you know you need to sell your home as quickly as possible, then you could consider using a loan to help pay for the changes that you want to make.  Shop around for the best rates and make sure you can afford the repayments in case your home takes longer than expected to sell.  You’ll be able to pay the loan back as soon as you get that sale.

For a lot of people, a personal home loan can be a flexible way to gain access to the finances that they need to pay for a range of different expenses, all the way from vacations to weddings and honeymoons. Depending on what your needs might be, and how good your credit score is, a personal loan could be a cost-effective way to ensure that you access the home improvements you need straight away, while spreading the costs of your repayments out over the long term. Just remember to make sure that you can afford to pay the monthly bills before you sign up for a loan and only do it if absolutely necessary.