Thinking of Selling Your Home?
5 Smart Ways to Add Value
Before Going on the Market
home selling articles and tips
When you decide it's time to sell your home, one of the biggest concerns is getting a good price for the property. In most cases, you've spent years in the home, updating features and making costly repairs, so you want the sale price to reflect those improvements. To sell your home for the price you expect, however, may require some new modifications. It's about adding buyer appeal, as well as adding value. Here are just a few things you can do to bump up your asking price.
Make the Rooms More Spacious
While you may have enjoyed that kitchen island or dividing wall, it may be pose an obstacle for homebuyers, especially those with a family. Consider removing that kitchen island or knocking out a nonstructural wall to increase space in the kitchen or living room. Larger rooms will appeal to young families with children and to those older couples who may have a great deal of furniture. If the kitchen island is mobile, you may want to consider moving it out of side during showings.
Trimming the Foliage Has Its Benefits
Many realtors report that their clients are so concerned with making the interior presentable that they often neglect the exterior. It's too bad, because well-kept shrubbery, gardens, and trees can add significant value to the home. A recent survey of 2,000 brokers found that an investment of $400 to $500 for landscaping quadrupled home values. Realtors also agree that a poorly maintained exterior can chase away prospective buyers. They can't see important details of the home, because shrubbery or grass is overgrown, and they may be concerned that the unkempt foliage is promoting the growth of mold.
Add a Sense of Luxury
Consider installing a spa like those from Aqua Rec, a company that specializes in hot tubs in Woodinville, if you have the extra space. Even portable hot tubs can add a feeling of luxury and give prospective homebuyers a thrill at the thought of slipping into the soothing waters after an exhausting day. This is a great way to add value to your home and to make your property one of the most memorable houses that busy homebuyers have toured. It's sure to make a lasting impression.
Homebuyers Want More Light
There are a few things sellers can do to add quality to the lighting in their home. One inexpensive modification is to replace regular switches with dimmer dials. This allows people to set the mood with a slight change in lighting levels, which homebuyers may find appealing.
Another option to consider is sky lighting, or the newly popular sun tubes, which uses reflective lenses to filter sunlight or moonlight into a room. A globe-capped hole in the roof lets the light in, while the tubes direct it toward individual rooms. By installing ways to increase natural lighting, you'll be giving homebuyers the added advantage of lower electric bills.
Pay Special Attention to the Kitchen and Bathrooms
Making extensive renovations can be costly and defeat the purpose of trying to increase your profit on the sale of the home, but you should make simple repairs. Doing small things, like changing the shower stall's frosted glass door to clear glass and regrouting tiles, can have a positive effect on the room's overall appearance. Install new doorknobs, cabinet handles, and faucets to give a better impression to homebuyers.
There are many inexpensive fixes you can do to spruce up your home and add to its value. By making modest improvements, such as those included here, you can improve the chances of the property selling sooner and at a better than expected price. Sometimes, simple upkeep can do more to boost the value of your home than expensive and intensive renovations.
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