No one wants to think about the day they have to sell their home, but it’s important to plan ahead. If you want to get the most money possible for your house, you need to make sure it’s in top condition. Here are some tips to increase the resale value of your home!
Selling a home is stressful for first-time home sellers, but it can be incredibly challenging. As the seller, you must navigate a world of new rules and regulations, not to mention all the paperwork that goes along with it. In addition to those responsibilities, you must ensure your home stands out from the competition.
One way to do that is by making sure you’re doing everything in your power to increase its resale value—and there are plenty of ways you can do that without breaking the bank or making significant changes out of necessity.
But not everything you can do to increase the resale value of your home is worth the effort. Some will cost more than what you will get in return.
For example, there are a few home renovations that do not increase the resale value enough to bother. These include adding a pool, building an addition, or installing a home theater. While these renovations may be nice, they are not likely to add enough value to your home to make them worth the investment.
If your flooring is already in good shape, and a neutral color, dropping thousands of dollars to update the flooring may not pay off as you’d like. Yes, they will probably increase the resale value–but will it be enough to offset the cost? Not always.
The same goes for replacing the roof, furnace, windows, air conditioner, or other major installations. If what you have now is in good shape to last several years and efficient enough to not seem too outdated, it may cost more to upgrade them than you’ll see in the resale value increase.
Below we’ve compiled some quick tips on how you can maximize your home’s resale value before listing it on MLS or selling privately.
Start With Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is important in real estate because it’s the first thing potential buyers will see. If your home doesn’t look good from the street, they may not even bother coming inside to take a closer look. That’s why it’s important to make a good impression with your exterior landscaping and home improvements.
Pressure wash the exterior of your home, especially if you have siding, trim the hedges, do some quick landscaping to clear the flower beds of weeds, and touch up any paint that’s chipped or peeling.
Declutter Every Room In Your House
One of the easiest and most effective ways to make your home feel more spacious is by decluttering each room. This includes closets, cabinets, pantries, and any other areas where you tend to store things. Even kid’s rooms can be decluttered. Go through each space with a critical eye and get rid of anything you don’t need or use regularly.
Not only will decluttering make your home feel more spacious, but it will also make it look cleaner and more organized—two things that are important to potential buyers.
Deep Clean Every Inch Of Your Home
When was the last time you cleaned your baseboards or dusted your ceiling fan blades? If you can’t remember, it’s probably been too long.
Deep cleaning your home is important because it will make it look and feel cleaner, which is something potential buyers will notice and appreciate. Take the time to clean every nook and cranny of your house, including those hard-to-reach places.
Don’t forget to deep clean carpets, floors, and upholstery as well. If you have pets, it’s a good idea to hire a professional carpet cleaning company to get rid of any pet hair or stains.
Once you’ve completed the deep clean, get into the habit of doing a daily cleaning so that your home is always ready for a last-minute showing.
Update Your Hardware
One quick and easy home renovation that will update the look of your home is by replacing old hardware with new pieces. This includes door handles, drawer pulls, cabinet knobs, light fixtures, and anything else that might be outdated or worn.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make a big impact. There are plenty of affordable options available that will still give your home a fresh, new look.
Make Small Repairs
Fix any cracked tiles, seal up leaks, replace burned-out lightbulbs, and tighten loose doorknobs. These little things will go a long way in making your home more appealing to buyers.
In addition to making small repairs, it’s also a good idea to address any larger issues that need to be fixed, such as a broken air conditioner or a leaky roof. These types of problems will likely turn potential buyers away, so it’s important to fix them before putting your home on the market.
While no one likes the idea of selling their home, it doesn’t have to be a stressful or difficult process. By following the tips above, you can increase your chances of getting top dollar for your home.
Hire a Home Inspector
Before listing your home, it’s a good idea to hire a professional home inspector to check for any hidden problems that could turn potential buyers away.
Home inspectors will look for things like structural damage, electrical issues, plumbing problems, and anything else that could potentially be wrong with your home.
While it’s important to fix any major problems before listing your home, you don’t need to worry about making cosmetic changes or small repairs. Homebuyers will expect to do some work after they purchase a home, so don’t worry about making your home perfect.
Get Your Home Appraised
If you want to ensure you’re getting top dollar for your home, it’s a good idea to get it appraised. This will give you an accurate value of your home, which will help you price it correctly.
An appraisal will also give you an idea of what potential buyers might be willing to pay for your home. This information can be helpful when negotiating with buyers or counteroffers.
Prepare Your Home For Showings
Once you’ve listed your home, it’s important to make sure it’s ready for showings. You should consider staging your home to make it more appealing to buyers. This involves arranging furniture and decor in a way that makes your home look its best.
If you’re not sure how to stage your home, there are plenty of resources available online or you can hire a professional stager.
Upgrade Your Kitchen and Bathroom Plumbing
You can make a massive difference in the resale value of your home by upgrading your kitchen and bathroom plumbing. When it comes to kitchens, many people don’t think about what kind of faucet or sink they want until after they buy the house. But this is one item that should be considered from day one, and you’ll want to choose something unique if you’re selling at all. It would be best to have professionals like Beehive Plumbing look at the existing state so they can suggest the best way forward.
If there’s an area where you’ve had trouble with water lines (for example, if there’s been some leakage), it might be time for an upgrade anyway. In addition, adding new fixtures will add value to any kitchen renovation project because they’ll look better than what’s currently in place, which means more bang for your buck.
Maintain Landscape
If you don’t maintain any landscaping or everything looks like an overgrown jungle, buyers may think that no one has been living there for some time. An unkempt landscape means nothing has been done or maintained correctly (which could make them question whether any work has been done).
If possible, try not to let weeds grow up around trees because this will affect how much potential buyers may view as “maintenance-free” versus “under-maintained.” Also, remember not too many plants in one area. They should be spaced out evenly throughout their entire yard so that sunlight gets through without causing any shadows over other places where people might want privacy while sitting outside during a summer evening.
Upgrade Very Old Appliances & HVAC
Although I noted earlier that these changes don’t always increase the resale value of a home, there is one exception – and that’s when you’ve got appliances or HVAC systems on their last legs. If your furnace is on the brink of death, or your fridge is making a weird rattling noise, you should consider replacing these old appliances with newer models.
To increase your home’s resale value, you must replace old appliances with more efficient ones. More recent models are more energy-efficient and have longer life spans than their predecessors, which means they’ll save money on utility bills every month while reducing the waste produced in landfills. They’ll also help keep your home cooler during hot summer or warmer winters (which can be detrimental to property values).
Replace Outdated Light Fixtures
If your light fixtures are old and outdated, replace them. It can be as simple as replacing one bulb with a dimmer switch or adding motion sensors. Using light bulbs with a lower wattage and longer life expectancy is also essential as they’ll save you money in the long run.
If you have an older home, consider replacing some bulbs with LED alternatives that use less energy than traditional incandescent lights. These bulbs will save money over time because they last longer than traditional ones (typically ten times longer) while using less power overall (about 60% less).
Add Energy-Efficient Features
There are many ways to make your home more energy-efficient. You can use light bulbs that are more efficient, turn off lights when not needed, and check the temperature in rooms with air conditioners. The best way to save money on utility bills is by getting a thermostat with Wi-Fi capability and installing it yourself.
If you have an old water heater or furnace, consider replacing them with newer models with superior efficiency ratings. When choosing windows for your new home, look at options like double-pane or insulated glass units that use less energy than single-pane ones while still providing good insulation value against heat loss/gain due to weather changes outside. Lastly, if there’s an air conditioner unit in someone else’s house nearby—or even just outside their window—you might want them checked out too.
Replace Old Wallpaper
Wallpaper is a great way to add color and texture to your home, and has been making a bit of a comeback in recent years. It can also be used as an accent wall in the kitchen, bathroom, or family room. But people may be turned off by outdated wallpaper from the 70s or 80s, unless they are a true retro decor aficionado.
You can find many kinds of wallpaper at home improvement stores, art supply stores, and even online. If you’re looking for something affordable but still looks nice, consider using patterned paper rather than solid colors.
Wallpaper is available in rolls (easier to handle) or sheets (cheaper). You might want to use only one or two sheets, depending on the space between each panel on your walls. Thicker papers will require more panels than thinner ones because they cover more area.
Bottomline
Minor updates can go a long way in increasing the value of your home. You may have heard that keeping your property fresh and clean is essential, but small touches can make an even more significant difference.
Now that you know how to increase the resale value of your home, it’s time to get started! First, take a look at the tips we’ve outlined above. If any of them sound good to you, start planning how they’ll affect your home. You may need some help from contractors or designers, but if done correctly, it should be worth all the effort in increased profits once it comes time to sell.