Preparing your home for sale can feel like an overwhelming task that needs to be scheduled between all the other demands and activities that life throws at you.
A careful assessment of your home in its current state and then planning for improvements done with the help of an agent, can help ease the stress and remove any uncertainty of what it might take to maximize the value of your property.
As an experienced agent, I can confidently tell you it’s often the little 1 percenters that make an impact on most prospective buyers.
Containing your costs is a critical factor in your preparation. You should always consider the return you’ll get on your investment. If there’s any doubt that an investment is money well spent, it is likely that a particular project you’ve been thinking about can be left to the next owner.
Below is a list of cost-effective upgrades that will positively impact your sales prices but won’t break the bank.
- Watch the paint dry – A fresh coat of paint inside your home will make a world of difference. It will hide the bumps and scratches that walls suffer and give your home a clean, fresh feeling. Focus on neutral colors. Don’t go for big, bright walls as these turn off buyers who don’t share your taste. Light tones make rooms feel bigger, too.
- Behind the curtain – Windows are often forgotten but make a tremendous impact. Clean the grime from each glass pane as this will let significantly more light into your home. Freshen up the frames with a lick of paint, and throw out any heavy curtains and install light blinds. Again, this will make each room look larger.
- Kitchen capers – A tired kitchen can pull down the value of your house. The good news is that it’s pretty easy to fix on a tight budget. Don’t rip and replace but restrict the upgrade to updating the doors, drawers and handles. If your cash will stretch to a new countertop, that can be a sound investment, too.
- Bathroom basics – Adopt a similar strategy for the bathroom. Pull out tired or water-damaged cabinets, and replace them with moderately priced units. Do not move the plumbing, as this will get expensive. New faucets and towel racks will complete the job and some fresh new towels complete the look.
- Laundry list – Assess the storage options here. If you can inexpensively install new shelves, a larger countertop or an additional cupboard, go for it. While a laundry or utility room won’t do too much for your asking price, it can be influential with many buyers and hasten the speed of a sale.
- Be street smart – Fix up your street appeal. Be brave and paint the front door a striking color, or a gloss black, which also looks great. If the windows look weather-beaten, take a paintbrush to them. Consider updating the porch light fitting, or at the very least, install a bright lamp. Mulch flowerbeds to keep down weeds, maintain the lawn and trim the hedges. If you have a garden path, consider planting a box hedge to give it definition. Keep the front of your home tidy, free of toys and tools, before every viewing.
I hope you’ve found these tips helpful. If I can help you secure your dream home or sell your existing property, please do not hesitate to contact me. We can discuss buyer preferences, value-add upgrades, prices trends in our area and the best marketing campaign to maximize your current property’s value.