You may dream of remodeling your home, but the budget may not allow it. If you are selling, making the right impression is important, but can be expensive. The fact is, you may not have much money to spend on making improvements. But, you do not have to spend large amounts of money to boost the value of your home. Here are several things you can do to give your home the necessary boost for a quick, profitable sale, or to even make it easier for you and your family to live in.
Drive by your home. What is your impression?
Are there dead plants scattered among the living ones? Are there overgrown plants? Doing some simple clean-up of plants can make a big difference in how your house appears to a potential buyer.
Clean the outside of your home with a power washer. If you already own one, you are ahead of the game. You can rent a power washer for a moderate fee at an equipment rental place, or you can hire someone to do it for you.
Does your front door stand out? If your door blends in to the front of your home, it can feel a bit uninviting. For just a few dollars of paint, you can transform your door into something that catches the eye and invites people inside.
Do you have trash barrels sitting outside? Find a place to hide them or put them into the garage. It leaves a negative impression on anyone looking at the house.
Clean your home inside. This may sound basic. But, if you are used to the smell and look of your home, you may not realize there is a problem. Even a whiff of dog or cat smell can turn off some buyers. A musty smell can be just as much of a problem. Use lightly scented cleaning products and give your home a thorough cleaning from top to bottom. The idea is to get a clean scent, not having the house smell like a hospital.
Declutter your home. If you have every room and closet crammed with stuff, the house will look small. That impression is a big turnoff for potential buyers. You want to maximize the amount of room the buyers see. Remove furniture blocking windows or doors. It is a good time to go through the house and get rid of anything you no longer use. If you have to, take some of your extra items and place them in storage until your home sells.
There are some simple changes you can make to small items around the house that will not cost a great deal, but will give the buyers the right impression to improve your home’s resale value.
Change the outlet covers in the house if they are old or dingy. You can also change outlets and switches to clean white or ivory ones as long as the house wiring is up to date. Old, out of date looking outlets and switches make buyers question whether the wiring is up to date.
Change the knobs on kitchen and bathroom cabinets. This will give a room an instant update and it does not cost much if you shop smartly.
Make any repairs that are outstanding, especially those that are visible. You might have a small hole in the wall or a piece of missing trim. Leaving these minor repairs undone will give the potential buyers an impression that the home is in disrepair and will need extensive work to become liveable.
Walk through your house at different times of the day. Buyers want to see a house that is light and bright. Does your house seem light and bright during the typical times when real estate agents show it? If not, then you can take some simple steps to improve this. Wash the windows. Even a light layer of dust on the windows can cut down on the amount of light coming through.
Keep the curtains open when you have a showing to maximize light. Replace bulbs with higher wattage versions. This will help rooms that do not have a great deal of natural light seem brighter. On a note of safety, do not exceed the wattage limits of any fixtures.
A fresh coat of paint can make almost any room look better than it did before. Choose colors that harmonize with the rest of the house. Get a good brand of paint to ensure you get good coverage with a single coat. It will require work, but the impression it gives is immeasurable.
These are just a few ways to bring the value of your home up several thousands of dollars. Many of these changes can happen over a weekend. You can maximize your home’s value without spending a great deal of money.