We all like an extra buck or two, right? There are small things that you can do that will have a big impact on appearance but a small one in your wallet. Keep in mind that your taste is different than your potential buyers so try to keep very neutral and separate from the home you’ve been accustomed too. Lets start with the…
KITCHEN
Typically when updating your kitchen there is the potential to recoup 60-120% of what you spent. Keep in mind, don’t update the kitchen more than the rest of the house. Keep your homes style consistent while making necessary upgrades.
- paint your cabinets
- paint your counter-tops (look up counter top paint kits online)
- add a back-splash (either real or the peel and stick)
- if its older, change out the light fixture
- change the linoleum if it’s old (it’s inexpensive and fairly easy to lay down)
- paint the walls a light neutral gray (the most trending color for kitchens.
BATHROOM
While upgrading the bathroom keep in mind that you will recoup about 80-130% of the cost, so don’t go overboard. The #1 tip for homes with one bathroom is to ADD ANOTHER BATHROOM! Homes with more than one typically sell better than homes with just one. Even if it is a half bath, consider doing so.
- paint walls a light earth tones such as cream or khaki. Grays also play well in here.
- add a frame to your mirror
- paint the hardware with a metal created spray paint (faucets, handles, knobs)
- older cabinets? paint them as well!
- peel and stick flooring works well here too, so consider that cheap alternative.
- add decorative wall hangers for towels
Landscaping
While this can be a time consuming task and not very cheap, your curb appeal is the first thing your buyer will see and I promise it can also be the turn off on your home. You can recoup around 7-15% of the cost. A lot doesn’t need to be added because *again* you don’t know the buyers taste and they might not want a lot of what you have planted so lets just focus on cleaning up.
- trim the bushes and trees into a neat shape
- get all weeds out of any mulch beds
- pressure wash your sidewalk/driveway/porch
- touch up any paint chips on shutters
- add newer, fresh colored mulch to any areas where it’s currently existing
- add solar lights on your path/driveway/garden/mailbox (its cheap and makes a big impact after dark)
- if you have your street number on your house, update it to something more modern looking (seek Pinterest’s master advice for this one, it’s good I promise)
A few other items you could consider to help add more value to your home:
- adding any square footage is always a good idea if you can afford to do so.
- light fixtures are relatively cheaper and fairly easy to change out, so update any outdated ones
- adding energy efficient appliances is a great selling point! also a pricey one, so do it if you’re able!
- Tech is becoming huge in homes. Thermometers and lights that you can adjust by phone, a doorbell that sends you videos, touch screen refrigerators…I mean come on! Who wouldn’t love a smart home? (Well maybe the ones of us who saw Smart House on Disney back in the day…remember? The house tried to take over and become their mom! I know you know what I’m talking about!)
Another thing that can get you more money is buy selling with us (obviously!)
We do sell 33% faster than our competition and we sell it for more money!
How? Incredibly professional agents, full time marketing department, dedicated departments, and extreme attention to detail.
We get it, we’ve been at it for 30 years with 11,500 homes sold. Ready to be #11,501?