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Your home is your most expensive purchase, and you want to protect it by adding a few home upgrades. You can do these home upgrades on a budget, but they add up when they’re all added together, making them an attractive option for home sellers with minimal expense.
Here are five quick home improvements that will increase your home’s value or generate more offers when you go to sell it.
Clean your home top to bottom for the showing.
This tip won’t necessarily increase the value of your home; however, a beautiful home could generate more offers and ultimately drive up the price of your home. On top of that, it’s completely free – you need to apply a little bit of effort.
Put away and clear out anything that isn’t home-related, such as personal belongings.
If your home is clutter-free and the walls and shelves are neat and organized, home buyers will be able to imagine themselves in the house. However, they don’t want to see random items everywhere when viewing a home for sale.
In addition to making sure it’s tidy, do a thorough and deep clean. If you have carpets, rent a shampoo machine to give the floor a new and refreshed look. This will go a long way to impressing buyers and putting more offers in your inbox.
Throw on a coat of paint.
The quickest way to make a home look new and fresh is to put a fresh coat of paint on the house and any trim. This will give it a nice refreshed look, even if some home parts are still old and worn.
If your home’s interior hasn’t been painted in a few years, it might need a touchup regardless. Most interior paint lasts around five years before needing a new coat thrown on. Not just that, color styles may have changed since the last time someone painted it.
When deciding on which color to choose, remember you’re not painting the home for you but potential buyers. Choose colors that are neutral and easy to decorate for anyone.
Our real estate expert, Amanda Brown, with Amanda Brown Realty in Gatesville, TX, recommends grays or soft whites.
“Agreeable Gray and soft white tones are by far the favorites of the buyers I’ve worked with. These appeal to more people. The brighter colors that are unique and personal to the sellers tend to turn off buyers,” says Amanda.
Paint can go a long way in generating multiple offers for your home, and it’ll only set you back a couple of thousand dollars for a new and fresh look.
LVP flooring throughout the home.
Flooring is another home improvement that can up the home’s selling price. It’s also one of the most affordable home improvements you can make on the house to improve its presentation.
Replacing the old tile or carpet throughout your home with luxury vinyl plank can make your home look new, and it’s not quite as expensive as you’d imagine. It’s a DIY task if you have the right tools and a bit of patience.
LVP has the look of a luxury hardwood floor, but it’s completely synthetic, which makes it more durable and less expensive than the real thing. Landlords love it because it’s nearly indestructible by tenants, so your home will also appeal to real estate investors.
It would be considered a significant project for any home, but it’s a quick way to entice buyers.
Mind the curb appeal and dress up your landscaping.
What’s the first thing someone sees when they drive up to your home? The facade and the landscaping. This is the first impression (aside from the MLS photos, of course), so you want to make sure it is good.
Make sure the home has a lovely lawn and garden. You don’t have to be a landscaping expert, but make sure there’s nothing dead or dying around the house. If you have some struggling plants, pull them up or replace them with new lively plants.
Also, take a look at that driveway and walkway. Are they covered in grime and debris? Sweep them off and powerwash the concrete to make it look brand new.
How much does all of this cost? Not much at all! You can put in a little bit of effort on your own, or you can hire a professional landscaping company for a couple of hundred bucks, and they’ll spruce up the home’s exterior.
Pay attention to the details.
When you’re selling a home, the little things add up, so pay attention to the details. Start by upgrading your plumbing fixtures or light fixtures. These are relatively inexpensive and can be completed by nearly anyone.
If you have old fixtures that are broken, consider replacing them. If your home was built in the 1960s or 1970s, for instance, chances are some outdated light fixtures can easily be replaced with something more modern.
Some other details you might want to dig into is the hardware throughout the house. Do the drawer pulls and cabinet handles look straight out of the ’90s? You can give a kitchen or bath a fresh and elegant look for a few bucks a pull.
These details are not too expensive, can be done quickly by nearly anyone, and make a huge difference when they’re all added up.
The home is the most expensive purchase many of us will ever make in our lifetime. This means you want to protect your investment and increase its value by adding a few upgrades around the home. These small changes can be done on a budget, but they add up when they’re all added together, making them an attractive option for home sellers with minimal expense.
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