The housing market is hot right now, and many people realize now is the time to get as much for your home as possible. Buyers aren’t going for just any homes, though; they’re looking for houses that have been updated and that can suit a lifestyle that they want for themselves.

If you want to boost your property value by remodeling your property into the dream home for one of these buyers and possibly start a bidding war: here’s how to do it.

Nobody notices siding when it’s doing the right thing: but the second it’s dingy, dented, or older, people will notice. So, it’s important to offer clean and beautiful siding on your home that will catch people’s eyes. With something sturdy like metal lap siding, you can put in minimal work and come out with a beautiful and highly resilient siding that buyers will be clamoring for.

If your home isn’t due for a siding update, or you have brick, consider renting a pressure washer to scrub away any debris, pollen, dirt, or other things that may discolor it and give it the appearance of age.

Small-scale kitchen updates have a higher return than larger ones. Although a large kitchen update can add a lot of value to your home, the money you put into it negates all of that value. So instead, focus on small projects to make your kitchen a dream. For example, add a new window for more light, update the fixtures and sink, and ensure that the kitchen is scrubbed spotless.

Replacing cabinets is expensive, but you can strip your cabinets and stain or repaint them yourself for far less money. Although this is a larger project to do, you save a lot of money that can come back to you in home value by doing it yourself.

Beneath every slate tile roof is an attic space going to waste. If you don’t use your attic, it’s time to convert it. First, ensure that you have a way to get airflow up to that area, and then finish the attic into a bedroom. Although you can still section off part of the attic for storage, offering an additional bedroom can add tens of thousands of dollars to your home’s value.

It’s important to ensure this feels like any other bedroom, so take the time to finish it and make it feel like the room of someone’s dreams. Depending on the area, you could even pitch this as an income portion of the home they could rent out.

Yard work can be physically draining but it’s not so draining on our wallets. Curb appeal affects a large portion of what people are willing to pay for your home. Don’t allow for your property to go to waste. Instead keep your lawn mowed, edged, and weeded, and pay attention to how other homes in your area are keeping their lawns. If you can ensure that sellers are impressed when they arrive, they’ll be highly likely to want to put in an offer!

Garage doors are the final block we have to get through to get home after work. They section off our expensive tools and lawn care equipment, and they give us the chance to store large items we can’t keep in our homes. Therefore, garage doors need to be in great shape and work perfectly.

When looking at the cost of a new garage door you may think it’s expensive, but it pays back tenfold. Not only is this one of the first pieces of your home that buyers will see if it’s front facing: it’s a security feature, and it’s curb appeal. This is an item that must stay updated.

Aging in place remodels are becoming increasingly popular as fewer people move in with family as they age. Instead, people want to have mobility and utility of their homes for as long as possible. In order for us to age gracefully, our home must be capable of aging with us. Safety equipment like ADA grab bars and stairwells with grips are all hot selling points that buyers are excited to go for. These updates, except for the elevator, are usually inexpensive and can make a lasting impact.

Many of these updates are too large to try to attempt on your own, so remember that it matters how it’s completed.  Your safety is more important than adding value to a home, so it’s a good idea to seek help when a project may be beyond your means.  Seeking help from a contractor will allow you to have a professional on your side.

Although you’ll pay them for their work, it will protect your health and wellbeing, and you’ll save money from having to correct any major mistakes you may have made doing the project on your own.

Shop around for a contractor that you can trust.  You may want to settle for the cheapest prices, or whoever is the most available, but your safety and your home’s value is worth more than that.  Look for a professional you can trust, whose prices are closest to your budget and has references showing they know what they’re doing.

We can’t change where the plot of land is or the age of the house, but we can build value into our properties. So, if you’re curious about selling but want to ensure that your home sells for as much as possible, it’s a good idea to consider fitting some of these updates into your plans. After all, a small investment could make a difference of tens of thousands of dollars.

Brian Jeffries is the content director for the Innovative Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.