Here we are again in the middle of the sales season. All of us agents and brokers in the business start to get really excited around this time of year because that’s when the market really starts to pick up. Whether people are captivated by the season or gearing up for fall and winter in a new home, buyers have consistently and statistically bought more in the summer and early fall months than in any other season. , except that this year 2012 started early. !
For buyers who are also trying to sell their home, there are many ways to increase the value of your home before you put it on the market. Many of these are cost-effective and easy to do, so keep reading and hopefully you’ll find some of these helpful tips:
Don’t invest in an extra room, just make one up:
Instead of spending a lot of money and time hiring a contractor to add a nursery or small home office, paint a section of your bedroom, living room, dining room, etc. a different color, give it a different texture, or make wallpaper to designate a separate “room.” The best nursery I saw in the parent’s room was in the corner. The bedroom was painted a seafoam green, but the little boy’s corner with her crib was painted a blue that complemented the rest of the room well. Add a rug and side table lamp to complete the “room.” Another good option is to create a small home office in your living room. Don’t hire a contractor for an entire room, all you need is a carpenter to build you a ‘built-in’ desk or get one from IKEA that fits perfectly in your living room.
Create more than one seating area in different areas of the home:
If you have an outdoor patio to work on, create a space that can easily be used as a dining area or barbecue area. If the landscaping doesn’t allow for it, add a slate deck near your house where your new buyer can place some patio furniture and possibly some flower beds as well. Another great way to do this if you have a little more money to work with, is to add an upstairs deck or balcony. A terrace off the living room or dining room is a fantastic opportunity to increase home value. While not as cheap as a little gardening, it will add more value to your home.
Hire an Inspector:
Often when buyers buy a home, they don’t think about hiring an inspector until after they buy the home. Why wait? Do it for them. Hire an inspector before you put your home on the market, so that if repairs are needed before the home is sold, they can be remedied before the home changes ownership. Offer Buyer an Approved Inspection – I’ve done this several times with the homes I list and it saves them money and time, but also ensures a safe home. However, if the issues are minor enough, simply disclose the issues to your prospects.
Work with what you have:
As you all know, each home has a particular personality and history. This is your chance to expand on that! If your home is a cozy log cabin with a kitchen in need of a remodel, marble may not be the best choice. Instead, go with granite and hardwood floors or a wood stove, it goes with the element of home. Similarly, if your home is more modern than rustic, complete it with modern paint colors, wallpaper, or decorative aesthetics.
Creative cabinets:
Out with the conventional, in with the creative! When you’re remodeling your kitchen, you may be able to cut corners in your cabinets. Instead of buying new and paying labor costs to install them, sand and paint them. There are some really creative ways to paint and style your cabinets so that you hardly recognize your own kitchen. Go antique and see if you can get some old looking matching knobs for your cabinets to add a bit of flair. If you want a whole new look, you can buy new doors for your cabinets, not all new boxes.
Get your hands dirty:
Invest in your garden or outdoor space. Planting a tree that produces fruit, such as a fig or lemon tree (these two don’t take long to start producing fruit) can add great curb appeal to your home. Another garden-friendly addition is to install some flower beds. Whether or not it’s the season to plant foliage, there’s always great appeal to a home that’s ready for the garden. Or, if your home has little to no outdoor space to garden, add potted plants instead. Abundant, succulent bushes that produce flowers are a great way to appease the eye and add some life. Ferns on the porch are always a bonus.
Add some built-in storage:
If you have space in your living room or space under the stairs or just space, add some built-in shelves or a closet with lots of storage and glass doors to add some style. Drawers are always welcome! Creating space for storage is essential. Buyers want and need it and this will sometimes be your selling point. If your home has a walk-in closet or large closet, add some drawers and/or shelves to create a more organized look. Same with a pantry; if you have something to work with, add more.
People like shiny:
If you’re selling your home now, now might be the time to update your faucets, countertops, and/or floors. Swapping out your old lamps for shiny new ones with no scratches or blemishes is a great cost-effective way to turn heads. This is especially true if you’re also adding a shiny new granite countertop or shiny new hardwood floors. People like it shiny, so take some time to add some sparkle. Take a look at the original granite counter tops – they now have them and might be just what you need to upgrade to that “shiny” look.
Get some new lighting:
That dusty old fan and cracked light cover just won’t work! Take a trip and get some stylish ceiling and wall lighting fixtures in your living room and bedrooms. This is a great way to spruce up a room and add a little more aesthetic to turn heads. Keep your house up to date! You can also add some lighting above your kitchen counter to catch the light from your new counters or appliances.
So whether you’re doing a remodel or just trying to increase the value of your home to sell in the future, here are some great ways to save a few pennies and still update your home for the market. I hope these have been helpful and for more tips on home remodeling and upgrades in the market please visit the rest of my blog at ActiveRain and check out our newly designed and regularly updated website listed below.
