If you are preparing your home for sale, there are certain improvements that are definitely worth their cost in helping to attract more buyers, sell your home faster, recoup your investment and increase the value of your home. Every seller I have met, wants top dollar for their property. Every seller I have met also asks me what they can do to get that top dollar. So, here are my top 5 home value increasing suggestions I tell my clients.
1.Increase your Curb Appeal
As the saying goes, “you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.” When people drive up and first see your house, you want them to think of it immediately as a home that has been maintained and well cared for. Interestingly, the Homegains 2012 Top 1- DIY Home Improvements for Sellers Curb say that increasing curb appeal gives you a 215% return on your investment.
Now, it’s not as simple as adding a few plants and giving the porch a once over. No, increasing your curb appeal includes sprucing up the entryway and giving the garden some tender love and care. Laying some turf if needed, hedging the bushes and adding some colour, either with flower beds or in pots. Buying a new front door or painting the old one and installing a shiny new letterbox and house numbers. Removing cobwebs and giving the drive way and roof a wash with a high pressure cleaner. Leave no surface untouched and your home can look good as new.
2.Do Partial Renovations
Since every dollar counts, hold off on pet projects and only devote your time and money to renovations that’ll bring you a return. Rather than gutting your kitchen or bathroom, consider resurfacing and replacing cupboard handles and tapware. It’s more cost effective, quicker and has the same effect!
Also, make sure you tend to any little maintenance, odd jobs. Fix leaky taps, re-caulk around sinks, re-grout the shower or secure that loose, squeaky floorboard. Buyers might not see them at their first inspection but they will be noted during a building and pest inspection, so you might as well tend to them now!
3.Clean Thoroughly
Do a deep cleaning before you put your home on the market. Be sure to wash the windows and give the carpet a good clean (replace it if needed, dirty carpet is always a turnoff for buyers). Clean every surface that you can find, from those that are visible to those that are hidden away behind furniture. Move all appliances and furniture and really get into every nook and cranny of your house. Also, make sure to clean, empty out and de-clutter all cupboards and closets; untidy, full cupboards give the impression of limited storage.
4.Upgrade your Light Fittings
Buyers love a clean, bright, well-lit house. Focus on those fittings that are most dated and take extra care in areas like the bedroom and bathroom, where bright modern lighting is essential. LED fittings can also add value to your home by making it more modern and efficient. Don’t forget to update light switches and power points if they have yellowed over time.
5.Stage your Home for Sale
Obviously, as you are reading a blog written by a home stager, I am going to recommend staging your home. But staging your property for sale encompasses so much more than simply positioning your furniture. You need to present your property in such a way that allows every buyer who walks through your front door to imagine their family living there. De-personalise your home, make sure to pack away family photos and take magnets off the refrigerator. Return rooms to their original purpose and give each space a meaning by strategically positioning furniture and de-cluttering. Remove window treatments, unless they are high end, to cut the risk of turning off those buyers who don’t share your taste.
Thanks for reading!
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