If you are considering listing your current home for sale in today’s real estate market, there are a number of ways to ensure that your property gets top dollar.
Or, if you’re looking to plan for the future when the time comes to sell your home, you’ll want to make sure your home offers some value.
Some of these home projects are quite simple. But, they will easily yield positive results for your bottom line. The key is knowing where to invest your time and energy.
4 home projects
Master the Art of Curb Appeal
The first impression truly makes a difference when presenting your home for sale to others. When the outside of your residence is welcoming, you will be more likely to attract the type of buyer who appreciates attention to detail.
Set the tone by closely examining how your home looks from a street side view. Ask yourself honestly, is it a “let’s drive by” or is it a “I want to see more?” A tidy landscape paired with colorful, seasonal plantings can paint a “let’s stay awhile” portrait of your property to those looking for their next home sweet home.
Even if your current residence is a townhouse unit or a condo complex where you have little control of its exterior surroundings, consider how you can make your space stand out from your neighbors in order to make a lasting impression.
For example, simple home projects could include a beautiful wreath on your door, or a fun welcome mat paired with a well cared for container garden can show that you have infused your personality into your space and that the next homeowner can, too.
Update your Kitchen
Home is where the heart is and the heart of every home is typically the kitchen. Take a good look at your current kitchen and consider how it compares to the dream kitchens of today’s home buyers. Look to online inspiration collecting sources like Pinterest or Houzz to see what type of kitchens are on the wish lists of others. Chances are they have new and sparkly appliances, marble or quartz countertops, and some type of rustic touches combined with modern technology.
Investing in kitchen upgrades can go a long way towards securing a motivated buyer for your property. The furniture in your living room will travel with you, so it does not really matter if the style of these pieces appeals to the next homeowner. The kitchen, however, will remain, so be sure that it’s a space that a new buyer would want to inherit.
If your budget cannot accommodate a complete remodel, look to online DIY design trend hacks and other home projects to make a high-end impression. Paint your cabinets gray, replace existing hardware with brass handles, switch your kitchen faucet with a smart technology version, or replace your lighting fixtures with an industrial chic option to modernize – and make more appetizing – your meal prep area.
Update Your bathroom
First and foremost, your home’s bathroom must exude a hotel-like atmosphere of cleanliness and efficiency. If it is in your budget to renovate, plan to incorporate water-saving fixtures to replace out-dated models that do not meet the current trend toward energy efficiency.
Neutral floor and wall tiles along with neutral paint color on the walls will also help a prospective buyer to approve of a space instead of being turned off by it (pink wall tiles and dated wallpaper patterns do not help to sell houses!)
Is a gut job out of the question? You should still do everything possible to create a room that leans toward modern design.
That could be adding luxurious, hotel-like accessories. Items such as an organic waffle weave shower curtain, fluffy white towels, a fresh bar of soap at the sink, and even just replacing the sink faucet with a sparkly new chrome version, can be an affordable way to make noticeable changes without bringing in the added expense of a professional contractor.
Add an outdoor space
With the continuing trend of wanting to entertain at home these days, it’s always a good thing to have as many spaces as possible to accommodate a crowd. While the look of the living and dining rooms will eventually change having an outside area designated for gatherings is like having a bonus room that can stimulate your buyers need-to-have-it imagination.
Home projects, such as building a deck, fire pit, patio or she-shed (all totally trend worthy according to HGTV online!) on your current property will be the icing on a potential home-buyer’s cake.
Being able to provide a place outside of the listed square footage for both relaxation and entertaining is a real value that will make your home more marketable to others.
Setting up an area to sit outside – even with just a table and chair set – that can visually connect visitors with nature can easily expand the horizons of your property.
By incorporating some of these tips on improving your home’s attractiveness to others, you can be confident that you will receive the best value on the dollar for your home when it comes time to sell. And after following some of these easy to accomplish home improvement steps, you may just discover that you might want to stay awhile longer yourself!
