Thinking about selling your home?
If you’re considering a move soon or in the future, there are several items you may consider upgrading to increase home value and get the most money when you sell. We’ll investigate some of the options so you can decide what’s best for you.
The Top Items
Realtors and buyers list these items when looking at a home for updates: curb appeal, updated flooring, and fresh paint.
Whether it’s from driving by, at an open house, or on an online listing, it’s important for potential buyers to have a great first impression of your house…the curb appeal. Keep the grass trimmed, weeds pulled, power wash the exterior including doors and windows and add landscaping like plants and a walkway. Don’t go overboard with lawn ornaments; you want buyers to see themselves living in your home.
The next item to increase home value is the first thing your buyer will notice when they walk inside…the floor. It’s important to replace damaged flooring and to clean any carpets. If there are spots that are too worn, it may be wise to replace and potentially upgrade to laminate or wood floors. Most buyers prefer those options over carpet that may have old stains and odors from kids, smokers, or pets. Damaged floors can also be safety hazards that make potential buyers walk away from a property out of concern about what else may be wrong with the home.
The third item is a fresh coat of paint…a simple update that goes a long way toward adding value. The importance of paint serves two main purposes. First, buyers will walk through and see every angle of a room, they don’t want to see scratches on the walls from furniture or where your children did their last crayon drawing. The other reason to paint is to depersonalize. You might love your purple kitchen, but not everyone will. Let a neutral tone bring out the best of your home. Buyers will be able to picture themselves living there, and they’ll want to buy it even more.
There you have it! Three ways to increase home value and get the most money when you sell.