Increasing Your Home's Value Whether you are looking to increase your property's appraisal value with a view to a sale, or you just want to improve your living space, getting started on home improvements can be a daunting prospect. However, making your house more efficient, adding square footage, upgrading the kitchen or bath and installing smart-home technology can help increase its value. How your home looks from the street is your first chance to make a good impression. A home’s exterior needs to make a prospective buyer want to walk through the front door. Once the exterior looks good, focus on the kitchen and bathroom. When these two rooms are outdated, they can keep a property from reaching its highest valuation. Improvements that make things easy to clean and maintain may also increase home value. Consider replacing easily stained carpet with hardwood floors or replace high-maintenance wood siding with vinyl siding. Energy conservation features also can have a significant impact on home value, depending on what area of the country you’re in. Schedule an assessment with a certified energy auditor or your utility company to determine where your home is wasting energy and which upgrades will save you the most money.