These Home Renovations Are Key Before You Retire

It’s been a long, brutal winter of hard work for many baby boomers. As the next crop of retirees gets ready to trade their briefcases and slacks for Hawaiian shirts and sunscreen, it begs the question: Should you fly south for retirement or stay put and renovate your home into a retirement wonderland?

Regardless of the direction you take, home renovation should be on your retirement radar to benefit you — or the new lucky buyer of your former homestead.

Keep reading to learn about easy home renovations you can do that will pay off.

Start Small…

There’s no need to get overwhelmed with a total home makeover. The No. 1 rule of home renovations is simple: Start small.

The first few tasks that will dramatically improve your home value might only require an hour or two of your time — fixing the leaky faucet, upgrading your clunky garage door, updating that 70s shag rug in the den and perhaps even trading your floral wallpaper for a fresh coat of paint.

Simple tasks like this benefit you no matter which route you choose, and they’ll finally get crossed off that honey-do list.

…Then Dream Big.

Once you get the small stuff out of the way, it’s time to daydream about all the things you wish you could’ve had. Since you’ve been living in your home for decades, nobody will know exactly what it needs more than you — so before you retire, make it happen.

If you’ve always dreamed of relaxing afternoons in your spacious backyard, it might be time to think about a deck addition. Also, if you only have one bathroom in your house, think about adding a second porcelain throne to your abode. According to a study by Remodeling magazine, for every dollar spent on a bathroom remodel, homeowners could expect their home’s value to rise 51 cents.

Invest in the Future

The last step will be to get the long-term investments out of the way, in order to keep your home — and all your other hard work — in great shape for decades to come.

If you were listening to a Walkman the last time you had your roof serviced, it might be time to think about investing in a full roof replacement. Likewise, shelling out for new, energy-efficient windows to replace your old ones will save major money in the long-term, as well as boosting resale value.

Remember, you worked hard to make this house a home for decades and now with a few short projects, you can get the biggest return on your investment and retire just the way you like it.

Up Next: 20 Home Renovations That Will Hurt Your Home’s Value

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: These Home Renovations Are Key Before You Retire