We have all seen the home improvement and renovation shows of couples busting down walls, remodeling a kitchen, building on additional rooms, and gutting bathrooms to start from scratch. Everyone just loves the end result, and overwhelmingly you think to yourself, I could never do that! Well, when it comes to preparing your home for the market, and aiming for the best possible return on investment, thankfully you won’t need to perform a tv-worthy renovation on your home! Don’t stress over high-end upgrades, but think of desirability, functionality, and neutrality. Below we will go over a handful of budget-friendly ways to increase the value of your home that won’t break the bank!
A Good Deep Clean & Declutter
A clean and well-maintained home will never go unnoticed by buyers, and a plus for you is that it costs next to nothing to accomplish a deeply cleaned and decluttered home! Staying up to date on maintenance items will make things easier on you as a homeowner to ensure you have no expensive emergency repairs later, such as mold growth and stains. Keeping areas of your home sparkling and free of dust and build-up such as vents, cabinets, blinds, baseboards, grout, fan blades, and light fixtures may seem minuscule but can make a huge difference.
Decluttering is a crucial aspect of adding value to your home as well. Buyers are turned off immediately by an overcrowded and extremely personal space. Keep decor and objects on the kitchen counter and other counter and furniture top spaces to a minimum, ditch the gallery wall, (buyers want to envision themselves in the home, now the homeowner!) consider temporarily slimming down your wardrobe to show off closet space, or all together go through your home and put aside any items you can part with and donate. Any space you can free up, organize and declutter more is going to be a big win!
Fresh Coat of Neutral Paint
We have all done it. We have scrolled through photos of a home for sale, only to be met with images of a salmon pink bathroom, a mustard yellow bedroom, or a brick red kitchen. These off-putting paint colors can be exactly what turns a buyer away immediately. It makes it close to impossible to imagine yourself and your belongings in a home when you can’t take your eyes off a hideous paint color.
Painting a home a fresh and neutral color throughout will always be the best way to make a home feel clean, streamlined, and new.
Update Light Fixtures & Hardware
Looking for an easy upgrade that will be appreciated by buyers? Try updating light fixtures and hardware. If you have outdated or simple builder-grade light fixtures in your home, there are always inexpensive options to choose from that will definitely make your rooms pop and give them the refashioning they deserve. Are you not feeling confident and are tempted to hire an electrician to do the job for you? Helpful hint: watch some YouTube tutorials on changing out light fixtures, and you will be surprised how easy it can be to accomplish this task yourself! Who wouldn’t like to save that extra money?
Think about a simple kitchen cabinet, even if it’s not the most attractive wood stain, once you put some new knobs or pulls on it, it can really give it a facelift and change the overall look. The same goes for door hardware, changing out an outdated gold or brass for an oil-rubbed bronze or a brushed nickel is sure to please a potential buyer.
Revamp Your Kitchen
You walk into a home, one of the first areas your eyes are drawn to is the kitchen. You imagine yourself cooking meals and having a gathering with friends and family. You may not be too pleased if you see old and dirty appliances, outdated sink and light fixtures, and cabinet hardware.
Consider investing in an updated kitchen faucet set, and cabinet hardware, and replacing any appliances for a consistent and streamlined look. If cabinets are looking dingy, don’t waste your money and go for a full replacement, but do some touch-up stain or even give them some paint to look brand new. A clean, updated, and attractive kitchen will greatly increase your home’s value and make it a more desirable entertainment space for buyers to imagine themselves in.
Refresh Your Curb Appeal
Lastly, increase your home value by simply refreshing your curb appeal. After all, the outside of your home is the first thing a buyer will see! You want them to have an initial good feeling when they pull up to your home for the first time. Do you want to create a great first impression? There is no need to hire a professional landscaper to come and transform your outdoor space. Better yet, keep it simple.
Some smart ways to refresh would be pruning up trees and shrubs you already have, filling in any gaps in the grass with some fresh sod, group some potted plants or flowers on the porch for a pop of color and a cozy effect. Painting your front door is a clever way to up your curb appeal as well. Consider an attractive blue or red to give your door a pop of color, and add a doorbell, updated doorknob, or door knocker to take it over the top!
Little changes to the outside of your home and front door can pay off big time because they are the first glimpse buyers will have of your home.
For More Advice
These tips above are just a handful of ways you can increase the value of your home before you sell. You would be surprised at what you can accomplish yourself, and the sense of pride you will feel afterward. Most homeowners have no idea what do-it-yourselfers they are until all is said and done! Of course, there are always more ways to increase the value of your home that a realtor can share with you and make it more appealing to the buyers in your area. Reach out to one of our agents with 316 Realty Group when you are ready to sell, and they can guide you through the whole process and make smart and methodical decisions for preparing your home!