The first step to selling your home is assessing the issues, and dealing with them before you receive interested home buyers. No potential home buyer wants to walk into a real estate and see that the bathroom has a broken faucet, or a faulty water heater. However, once all the obvious fixes are done, what else can you do to boost the home value or aesthetic of your home?
Even simple, aesthetic changes can go a long way in making your house more appealing to an outside eye, especially if you target areas home buyers usually check first. Bathrooms, kitchens, and entryways are good places to start. Your real estate agent can help guide you on the best places to put your renovation dollars for maximum ROI.
In case you’re not sure what to look for, here are 6 potential home renovations tips you can knock out within a month or two. Remember: always list what you’ve done to the house, and let your home buyers know that you put work into an area. They’ll appreciate the effort, and knowing that money went into the house before they bought it always makes them more likely to buy.
- Spruce up your front yard! First impressions can make or break a home buyer’s opinion, so try adding flowers, shrubs, or a new pathway up to the front door. Trim existing trees or shrubbery, and make sure the first impression is an impressive one for potential home buyers to experience while walking up to the house… see some gorgeous backyard ideas.
- Replace the garage door. A banged up, dingy garage door is never a good look for a house, and a replacement can be easy if you know who to call. Garage doors contribute more than you think to the exterior of a home, so make sure yours is a neat, prim one … but if you are up to the task this could also be a great DIY project and you can always look for other DIY home improvement projects if the hole DIY projects idea is for you.
- Add new flooring. Scuffed hardwood, broken tiles, and old carpets don’t make good impressions. Try adding new carpet in the bedrooms or lay hardwood floors throughout the house to up the home value. Replace or repair any broken tiles in the entryways or bathrooms.
- Double check the doors and windows. While it may seem like a hassle to replace doors and windows, a new buyer will be very impressed by the gesture. Old windows and doors can be drafty, and a bad air-leak may cost a new owner hundreds in heating bills. Be sure to mention it once you’ve replaced them, they might not notice otherwise!
- Tidy up your siding. A quick power-wash and a repaint can do wonders in making your house look ten years younger. Repairing holes and trim is a relatively inexpensive task you or any professional can do in a few days, to increase the home value of your real estate.
- Freshen up the bathroom. Bathrooms are the defining factor of a home. People spend over a fourth of their lives there, so make sure your bathroom is well-lit and fresh-smelling. Don’t hesitate to replace an old toilet or add a new coat of paint, to tidy it up.
While it may seem expensive or troublesome to do a lot of work before selling your home, the little things can go a long way in swaying a home buyer. If you think a buyer might notice something, be sure to fix the problem, don’t brush it off. Chances are, they notice a lot more than they let on, so it’s better that they notice shiny new installments than old problems. If you still aren’t sure it can be helpful to ask a real estate agent for their advice.
