Whether you are selling your home now, or in the future, suggestions have been made by real estate professionals to increase the value of a home. Changes that create a sense of flow and open space transform the feel of a home.

1. Knocking out a non-load bearing wall or removing a kitchen island can open space and create the desired flow. Wide open floor plans where the living room is seen from the kitchen area are popular designs at present. Kitchen islands are an asset when storage space is needed. A kitchen, with plenty of cabinets, looks bigger when the island is removed. Consider replacing it with a moveable one.

2. Landscaping is a relatively inexpensive way to increase the value of a home. For about $500, homeowners can make a significant difference in the selling price of a home. Quadrupling your investment is not out of the question. A survey of real estate brokers ranked landscaping in the top three investments sellers should make. Some considered it to be the most important.

Trees are forgotten landscaping items. Unkempt bushes and tangled trees block the view of the home, promote mold, and darken interiors. Mother Nature can go wild and leave an expensive mess when landscaping is neglected. Fallen limbs from poorly cared for trees can do thousands of dollars of damage.

3. Lighting noticeably enhances the appeal of a home. Two popular installations are sun tubes and dimmer switches. Sun tubes make use of reflective material that funnels natural light from a rooftop hole that has been globe-capped. The light travels down a ceiling fixture to the room. Sun tubes are not as expensive as framed skylights.

Dimmers are not as extravagant, but very useful in creating a mood. Other inexpensive methods of improving lighting include fixing window panes, making sure windows open, and using motion detectors that turn on and off automatically. High wattage bulbs make spaces that are small seem larger. Empty spaces are given a warm feeling with soft lighting.

4. When Zillow, a consumer real estate data source, was asked if having an epoxy coated garage floor added to the value of a home, the answer was a resounding ‘Yes!’ Forum participants pointed out that an epoxy coated garage floor also adds personal enjoyment and value. To some, it may seem to be a trivial upgrade, but people who like a clean garage and want to park vehicles in a well-maintained space see an epoxy floor coating as a valuable upgrade.

Given a choice between a garage with or without the epoxy coating, potential buyers will choose the home with the epoxy floor. There is also an implied value. A homeowner who invested expense and time on the upgrade probably took good care of the rest of the home.