Home Improvements can cost a lot and make no impact and there are home improvements that do not cost a lot and add value. If your thinking about selling you want to make home improvements that add value but do not cost a lot. You want to see a return. There are a lot of articles talking about how housing inventory is low and buyers are out in full force. All things potential sellers love to read or hear about. What sellers or potential sellers have to realize they might have to do home improvements to add value to there home, and you do not need to go crazy. Many home improvements are not expensive and make a big impact. Before you get on the phone or email or try to sell it yourself you should think about looking over your home room by room to make sure when you list if you get the best price. When buyers look at a potential home there are certain rooms that grab their attention and that would be the kitchen and bathrooms. If it’s been a while since your kitchen has received a facelift now would be the time to do it. I am not talking a full-on remake or major renovation project. Renovations can be very simple from updating your kitchen faucets, putting new cabinet door handles, updating the lighting fixtures. If you have a bigger budget take a look at your kitchen cabinets if they look dated. These home improvements are easy fixes and will add value to your home.
The first option is to tear out your cabinets, and put in new ones that can really maximize storage space. If ripping out cabinets isn’t an option then at the very least look into refacing the cabinets and putting new door handles on them. Look at all your appliances and don’t replace all the appliances but you might want to replace the oldest appliance in your kitchen. If you’re unsure about what work you should do and what you can wait on contacting your real estate agent as they can recommend someone to help you make these decisions or you can contact a contractor that works on remolding kitchens and bathrooms.
Next, look at your bathroom and see if needs a facelift. I will never forget when my parent’s had to sell their colonial home and my mother said this house will sell in a heartbeat. It was a barn that was converted into a colonial home. My parents revamped the kitchen and living room and had the entire house freshly painted, but the one renovation they didn’t do was revamp their 1950’s bathrooms. I had told my parents the two things buyers care about are kitchens and bathrooms, and my mother who was a real estate agent herself said you’re wrong they will walk through this home and overlook the bathroom you will see. Guess what, after every showing the feedback was the same the house is great however when the buyers went upstairs the listing fell apart with the bathrooms. If your bathroom is really dated do the work. Put in a pedestal sink, replacing the tile that is chipped. Put new grout on the tile throughout your bathroom. If you have a tub, re-glaze it if it looks dull. If that doesn’t help, look into a pre-fabricated tub or shower.
Just as my parents did repaint where needed. Painting is a cheap solution, but paint rooms neutral colors. The worst thing you can do is paint rooms crazy colors. Painting rooms in neutral colors will mean it goes with most buyers’ style. If you’re living in a single family home look at the entry door. Does it look tired or flimsy look into replacing it or putting on a fresh coat of paint and replace the door handle and knocker? If you live in a condo you might be limited on what you can do, but do what you can to send the right message to potential buyers. Check your floors and if you have hardwood you might just need to have the polished to make them shine. If you have carpet get them cleaned or replaced prior to your first showing.
It’s not required to have your home inspected prior to putting your home on the market, but it’s not a bad idea. It’s especially helpful when you own a single family home. If you own a condo it’s not a bad idea either, but might not be as easy to do. A home inspection will point out issues your home might have, and you can choose to repair those items before you sell or you can offer a credit to the potential buyer. Keep in mind anything that comes up in the inspection report as an owner you must disclose to the buyer and to your agent.
Remove the clutter from all rooms. The worst thing that can happen is your home is on the market and the buyer can’t really judge the space since there is just too much stuff in it. A lot of folks then take the items out of the rooms so it looks less cluttered, and they store it all in the closets. Don’t do that either. Buyers will want to open closets and you don’t want to have an avalanche fall on them. You might need to research storage spaces or purge items you don’t use and don’t need. Lastly, if you have outdoor space, tidy it up. Put out some plants, look into lighting since a lot of buyers want outdoor space. If the area is common again your limited on what you can do, but if it’s private look at your outdoor space as something folks might want to use during the day and at night. An outdoor space that is versatile is a nice thing to have.
The last thing I would do is if you have an agent inform them, as to any work you plan to do. You might want to also ask them for information on properties that have sold recently that are similar to yours. Kitchen and bath remodeling people can help you decide what work is worth doing and what is just not needed. After you have the work completed get that same agent to revisit the property, and walk through the property and ask them what they would list your home for.
If you need more information on Kitchen and Bathroom remodeling please visit my website www.pageinnisrealestate.com or you can contact me anytime I am happy to help you find a contractor for your home and help you list your home and get the best price for your home.
Leave a Reply