Increasing Value on a Budget
Anyone thinking of selling their home wants to get as much value for it as possible. To that effect, making improvements before
selling your home is highly recommended. However, repairs and upgrades are not in everyone's budget. Here are a few affordable ways to increase your home’s value, without breaking the bank.
Tried and true, one of the simplest ways of adding value to your home is to paint it. It's pretty cost-effective and doesn't take too long. A recent post from Kingsley Hamilton Estates shares how painting your home can make a big difference in the sale:
Paint, paint, paint
Budget-friendly changes can make a big difference to the look of your property and simple tweaks can pay off big time. Whether you’ve just bought a property or are looking to sell, here are some easy ways to add value to your property.
Fresh paint is one of the easiest ways to make your home look stylish. Choosing neutral colours such as beige, light grey or cream will make any room feel more spacious and cleaner Via kh-estates.com
Painting is special in that it can completely change the mood of a home. An eye-pleasing hue will definitely help to justify your listing price.
As we've mentioned on a number of other blogs, curb appeal is an important aspect of home selling. Curb appeal is the impression that your house gives off, and it plays a major role in influencing buyers. Landscaping might cost a pretty penny, but there are ways to lower the cost. A recent article from Top Greener shares the basics of curb appeal on a low budget:
Consider some curb appeal
Although it sounds obvious, a nicely mowed lawn, a few well-placed shrubs and a swept walkway makes a great first impression. What buyers see when they first drive by your home is tremendously important, especially for those looking to purchase it. For many, the very first impression can be the immediate selling point that they need to make that jump, and sometimes offer more money that you have it listed for.
If you don’t have a green thumb, consider hiring a landscaper to install some new sod, plant a few evergreen shrubs and give your front yard a good cleanup. These kinds of changes can instantly change people’s perception of your home and, therefore, increase its value. Landscaping keep me up isn’t all that expensive, we’ve seen some for about $100/month around the orange county area if you just do some research and look. We do recommend investing in a lawnmower and a couple gardening tools to do the work yourself as it will save you a lot of money throughout the year. But if you have the green to keep up the green, then we say go for it. h/t topgreener.blog
Curb appeal is a deciding factor for a buyer, whether they see the house in person or on the MLS.
Curb appeal is important!
Lastly, regular maintenance. Most people only think of doing major repairs to their home once they want to sell. But fixing problems earlier is a better strategy. It may seem unneeded, but a recent post from Bebee discusses why it's worth considering:
Complete regular maintenance
Instead of waiting until you start considering selling your home to do some home improvement, regularly keep up with your home’s maintenance. Even if it seems small, the longer you let it go, the more serious the problem could become. Take care of issues as soon as possible and invest in your home.
Another easy way to keep your home’s value high is to simply regularly clean it. Make sure you’re cleaning the entire house each week and spending a little time each day cleaning up after yourself. Take time every so often to deep clean your home. Keeping your house clean prevents wear and helps it continue looking great.
Regularly maintaining your home, even before selling, reduces the problems that would arise when the event comes. Fixing the small things before they have time to fester saves you worries during a
home inspection. In the past, we used to advise against doing much anything, pre-sale, but as times change, and prices are adjusting downward less quickly, we are starting to see more of an opportunity to do small, quick, cost-effective improvements pre-listing.