Nothing is more discouraging than when you put your home up for sale and no one responds. Nothing is more encouraging than when you have several buyers that want your home so badly, they're willing to pay above your asking price.
You can increase the likelihood of selling your home before you put the "for sale" sign in the yard. Unless you live in a perfect home, you should always tackle a few home improvement projects before you put them on the market.
Keep reading to learn the basic things you can do to improve your chances of selling your home quickly.
Improve Curb Appeal
First impressions matter. When a potential buyer drives by your home, the initial impression should cause them to turn their head for good reasons. You want something that looks beautiful, homey, and appealing.
Put in some sweat equity to create curb appeal. These inexpensive tasks can improve your curb appeal:
- Prune the bushes
- Power wash the fence and siding
- Paint the doors, siding, or shutters
- Replace your mailbox
- Replace or paint your house numbers
Take a step back from your home and look at it from the street. What do you notice immediately? Do you need to fix that item or capitalize on it?
These basic tasks take time and effort, but they will greatly improve your home's look from the curb.
Paint
Paint is one of the most inexpensive ways to improve your home. It also has one of the highest rates of return.
Before you grab the cheapest gallon of paint and start sloshing paint on your walls, consult with a trained professional. Interior designers have the experience and knowledge to know which colors work best with your home's interior and which colors are most trendy right now.
Consider the investment in both interior and exterior painting jobs. Exterior paint will renew the curb appeal of your home. Interior paint can make rooms seem bigger and give the whole home a fresh feel.
If the paint feels too expensive, purchase a 5-gallon pail of a light, neutral paint color. Then break out your paintbrush and get to work creating a calm, fresh space in your home.
Landscape
You don't have to re-sod your lawn to sell your home, but planting a few attractive plants and cleaning up dead material will help.
Give your yard the appearance that you keep up with your yard. A well-kept yard will draw buyers into your home to check out what else you have. Create the image of a low-maintenance and yet beautiful lawn.
Accent your home with simple potted plants that have pops of color. Planted flowers or plants will only give a new buyer something else to maintain. Potted plants work and are thus more appealing.
Secure or Replace the Roof
Future buyers will ask about a home's roof. If you haven't looked at yours lately, it's time to do that before you sell your home. An old roof will detract buyers.
While roofs are an expensive investment, they're essential. You may not need to replace yours, but rather just repair it. Have a roofing contractor evaluate the condition of your roof.
If you don't have a contractor look at your roof, its condition will come out during the home inspection. So, it's better to know ahead of time what you're selling before a buyer finds out on their own.
A contractor may recommend fixing a leak or replacing shingles. Such repairs will prepare the roof for the new owner.
If the contractor's evaluation reveals you need a new roof, don't despair. The cost of a new roof will increase the value of your home, especially if you choose wisely.
Do what you have to, so you have a good roof over your home. You do not have to purchase the deluxe roof to sell your house. You just need a good roof.
Look Down: Pay Attention to Floors
Well-used floors tell homeowners that you take care of your home. They see the scrapes and dull surfaces as one more thing they will have to repair.
So, either replace your floors or give them a facelift. Hard surface floors may just need a facelift if they're still in good condition. If you have carpet, have it cleaned.
If the carpet needs to be replaced, look into a hard-surface upgrade. Buyers see hard surface floors as easy-to-clean and more resilient. Hardwood floors usually lead to a faster home sale with a higher price.
Replace Garage Door
Garage doors have multiple purposes. They make a home more secure. They protect the contents of the garage from the elements.
They also play a large role in curb appeal. New garage doors can easily increase your home value. Experts claim that new garage doors have up to a 90 percent return on your investment.
Not only does this home project increase your home's curb appeal, but new garage doors also increase your home's security. They make your home appear safer because it is safer. So, you can rest easy as you continue to market your home, knowing you have an even safer residence.
Upgrade HVAC System
HVAC systems are one of the most expensive and essential parts of a home. An old HVAC system will deter buyers from considering your home. Thus, an upgrade is worth considering.
Begin by having the HVAC system inspected and serviced. This way, if you cannot have the entire system replaced, you can at least say you've had it recently serviced.
The service technician may tell you that you just need to replace your air filter, or they may tell you that you need to replace components like ductwork, evaporators, air handlers, thermostats, or supply lines. A completely new HVAC system will typically cost over $8,000.
However, a new HVAC system is also a profitable home improvement project. You will increase the quality of air in the home as well as the value of your home. You will also sell your home much more quickly when a buyer knows the HVAC system is good for the next decade.
Replace Kitchen Fixtures
The kitchen is the costliest room to renovate in a home. It's also one of the most important rooms when you're selling a home. Buyers survey the kitchen carefully, knowing that activity often circulates around the food prepared in a home.
A complete kitchen renovation will take time and significant money. You can do a few things, though, to improve your kitchen without spending tens of thousands of dollars.
Evaluate what you have to update to make the kitchen a sellable part of your home. Clean the kitchen thoroughly first as you evaluate its condition. Then look into replacing a few small, key items:
- Kitchen faucets
- Kitchen sink
- Cabinet hardware
- Light switches and outlet covers
These small details can change the look of a kitchen. If you have more money to spend, consider replacing an outdated kitchen appliance. Buyers really appreciate shiny, new appliances, and they make the newly cleaned kitchen look newer.
When online buyers check out your home via a 3-D tour, you can make the kitchen stand out with these small improvements.
Caution: Don't Over-Improve
When you're attempting to sell your home, you can go overboard on projects. Consider the location as well as the value of your home. If you over-improve your home and it no longer fits into the neighborhood, you may not recoup the cost of improvements.
Consider the cost of the projects you want to accomplish. Then ask yourself and your real estate agent if you can get your money back on those projects through the sale of your house. Try to gain two dollars in home value for each dollar you spend on home improvement projects.
You want your home improvements to bring your property slightly above the value of other listings similar to yours.
Finally, create a turn-key home for buyers. Buyers want something they can move into and enjoy, not something they have to improve on. Look at your home's weaknesses, and then improve on these first.
Home Improvement Projects as Investments
When you embark on home improvement projects, you embark on an investment. You're putting your money into something that you believe will give you a lucrative return.
Sometimes the return manifests itself in a beautiful home that you and your family can enjoy. But in the case of selling your home, the home improvement project should yield lucrative financial results. Your home renovation projects should increase your home's overall market value.
Are you hoping to sell your home? If so, let us help you. Our services will help you find an agent today that will help you sell your home for top market value.