If you are planning on selling your home, you want to fetch the right price. When it comes to getting the most value from the sale of your home, the devil is in the details. Even if you plan to stay in your home for a few more years, there are some steps you can take to boost your property value, as well as get make for a more comfortable and attractive home.
Getting your home ready for realtor showings, and attracting the highest bidder, or even just a simple renovation can be no short order, especially if you’re working under time constraints.
So how can you get the most value out of your home?
If you haven’t already done so, it’s a good idea to look into home improvement loans with no equity. Once you have secured the proper funding, you can begin your home improvement projects.
Clean and Declutter
A good place to start any home renovation or remodel is by sorting through belongings and getting rid of things that you no longer have use for. For instance, many of us tend to use our basements or attics as a sort of permanent storage.
We often place belongings in these places with the best of intentions, only to forget we even owned those things in the first place. As the old saying goes, out of sight, out of mind.
Taking the time to go through old belongings and boxes can be time consuming, but it’s good to take the opportunity to throw away or donate any old toys, clothes, appliances, or anything else that is taking up space in your home.
This will give you quite a bit more room to work around your home, and will also allow you to clean surfaces which normally would go forgotten. You’ll also want to move all your appliances and furniture and clean the areas where they normally sit.
TIP: One major project that often goes forgotten is to move your refrigerator and stove to clean underneath and behind them. These areas can be exceptionally filthy even if the rest of the kitchen is spotless. Food, dirt and other kinds of gunk can build up in these places and be a harboring ground for pests like mice, ants, and cockroaches. These kinds of messes and infestations can radically decrease the appraised value of your home.
Apply Fresh Exterior Paint
A fresh coat of paint can give your home an entirely new look and feel. Not only does this improve the overall aesthetic of your home, it is also an effective way to boost the value of your home.
Over time the paint on your exterior can become cracked and discolored from exposure to the elements. It doesn’t just look unsightly; it can also make your house more vulnerable to pests, as well as rot that occurs when wood becomes saturated with moisture from rain or damp climate.
You should start by scraping and powerwashing any chipped sections of paint, as these will begin to disintegrate if you attempt to paint over them. This creates unnecessary headache, and more work. Once this is completed, you should apply a base coat primer to ensure that the old color doesn’t come peeking through the new.
The next step is to apply 2 coats of an oil based exterior paint. this can be done by hand, or with the use of specialized paint sprayers that can be purchased or rented at most large home improvement stores. By putting a fresh coat of paint on the exterior of your home, you create a seal that prevents moisture and other elements from getting in and potentially damaging the structure of your home.
Conversely, you don’t want to neglect the interior walls and ceilings either. You should take the time to repair any damaged drywall or moulding and apply a fresh coat of paint indoors as well.
TIP: if you are uncomfortable with ladders, or otherwise unable to do these tasks yourself, it is recommended to find a reputable local contractor with good reviews, who is licensed, insured and bonded in your state of residence. By picking a reputable contractor, you will ensure that the job is done correctly, and to professional standards.
Renovate your Kitchen and Bath
It’s important not to neglect two of the the most important rooms in your home, the kitchen and bathroom. According to information from Consumer Reports, you can increase your home’s value by as much as 7% through renovation.
By installing new fixtures and replacing surfaces, you can transform your old kitchen and bathroom into modern works of design. Low flow toilets can save you a great deal on the cost of water, and replacing ineffective faucets and showerheads with new state of the art ones not only add property value, but also creates a more charming and comfortable living space.
Old broken tile and grout can be replaced in your shower and along your splash boards, this will also give you chance to inspect for water damage in the walls and cabinets, as well as check to make sure all of your plumbing is in good working order.
Don’t Forget the Yard
When a potential buyer or appraiser approaches your home, the first thing they will see is your front yard. If your yard is full of clutter, patchy grass, or even a broken down pickup truck that you haven’t had towed out yet, all of these things can negatively influence your property value.
By spreading new grass seed, mulching flower beds, or even creating your very own rock garden or walk path with flagstone or river gravel adds an attractive curbside appeal to your property as well as increases the overall value of your home.
Another good option is to plant perennial flowers such as daisies,irises, and morning glories. Perennial plants are plants which grow back every year and do not require replanting.
You may even consider planting an herb garden with things like basil, mint, and sage. Not only will this give a beautiful look to the outside of your home, but you can also save on the cost of herbs for your kitchen, as well as ensure that they are grown organically without the use of pesticides.
Other Tips to Consider
- Replace your old laminate flooring
- Replace old drafty windows with new double hung insulated ones.
- Replace your appliances with newer, more energy efficient models.
- Replace old aluminum gutters with new attractive vinyl ones. there are even some types of gutters that feature a cover or screen that will prevent leaves and debris from building up inside of them.
- Pay close attention to detail, let no stone go unturned and no corners be cut. You don’t want to waste money on cheap materials or goods that will need fixed or replaced six months down the line.
Conclusion
There are many ways to improve the value of your home, and we’ve only just scratched the surface with this article. While these are a few ways, there are many other things you can do to even further.
