Exchanging contracts on your first property is the first step on the journey to buying your “forever home”.

When moving day has come and gone, you can immediately start adding value to your home – ready for when the time comes to move further along the path, towards your dream house.

That’s how most homeowners wish they would’ve started out. And it’s how the smart first time buyer approaches their journey today.

Here are three home improvements you should be saving for, that will add instant value and enjoyment to your new house.

1. Made to measure blinds

Well designed, made-to-measure blinds will instantly improve the appearance of your home – from both the inside and out.

It’s simple – but it works.

See, blinds are an elegant alternative to curtains and offer a number of practical benefits too:

• Improved privacy – your private business remains just that.
• Sound-proofing – less sound escapes from well fitted venetian blinds so you are less likely to disturb the neighbours.
• Temperature control – blinds allow you to easily control the amount of light and heat that comes through your windows.
• Improved energy efficiency – made to measure blinds prevent heat escaping, or cold drafts coming through your windows.

Because new blinds help to prevent heat loss in the winter, they also help reduce your energy bills. The money saved will help towards the next home improvement – solar panels.

2. Solar panels

Solar panels are quite expensive to buy outright, but the government offers attractive rebates to people using them in the form of Feed-in tariffs (FITs). FITs pay you for the electricity you generate, helping to offset the cost of the panels.

The electricity that your solar panels generate is yours to use as you need. Any electricity that is unused can be sold back into the National Grid, resulting in a lower utility bill.

The units cost around £7000 to buy and install, but experts believe that using solar panels to generate your own electricity will help cut household bills by around £750 a year.

Some households even claim that solar panels generate up to three-quarters of their annual electricity needs.

These savings created can then be put towards the next home improvement – a conservatory.

3. A conservatory or extension

A conservatory is a useful, all-purpose room that will give you more space to enjoy your new home.

There are plenty of designs available, ensuring you will be able to find a conservatory that fits in with the architectural style of your house. You could also consider fitting wooden venetian blinds from Thomas Sanderson to complete the look, or a downstairs extension as your family grows.

It may take a lot longer to save up to buy a conservatory, but the investment will be well worth it in the long run.

The additional living space provided by a conservatory or extension also adds value to your property. By increasing the value of your house, you will have more equity to put towards your next move up the property ladder.

There are two reasons to save up for home improvements – to turn your house into a home, and to add value to the property.

These three suggestions should, over time, help you to create a house that you love, that you can sell for a profit when you are ready.

Got any questions or any more suggestions to add to the list? Drop your thoughts in a comment below.