How to Increase Your Home Value Before Selling
Whenever you decide to invest in your home, you should make that investment count. Whether you’re remodeling it for your own comfort or to rent it more easily, any work you do should also increase the value of your property, in case you decide to sell it in the future.
All of this means that any renovation you do requires careful planning and a lot of consideration. Here are some of the smartest ways to get the most out of your investments in the long run.
What you do now can go a long way to increase the value before you sell.
Give your kitchen a new look
One of the best ways to add value to any home is by remodeling the kitchen. If you ask any real estate agent, they will tell you it is the most critical room in the house. It’s where most families gather and spend a lot of time, whether cooking, making coffee, or having a quick snack. This is especially true for those kitchens which have islands with seating around them and those which are a part of an open plan area.
Even though doing a full renovation of a kitchen can cost quite a bit, it will pay off if you put your home on the market one day. On the other hand, if you don’t have that kind of money right now, you can always rely on some smaller projects to make your kitchen look better for you as well as potential home buyers.
Repainting the kitchen cabinets in neutral colors, getting new cabinet handles and perhaps even replacing your worn-out countertops can do the trick. Two of the most desired countertop selections are granite and quartz. They resonate with buyers and can completely change the look of a kitchen.
Also, if your appliances are still doing their job well, but look a bit shabby, you can now find paint explicitly made for them, so that you can give them a fresh look and a new life.
Modernize your bathroom
Along with the kitchen, the bathroom is also a great place to start increasing your home value. Whether you opt for a complete makeover, an upgrade or simply replacing some of the outdated fixtures to make it look better, you will make life more practical and pleasurable for your family and more attractive to buyers.
Homeowners know this, and they are aware of how important it is that these works are done by professionals, no matter which part of the country their home is in. Hiring reliable professionals is always vital, especially when you are installing any kind of plumbing, including sinks, toilets, and vanities.
Again, if you can’t afford any capital investments at the moment, a fresh coat of paint, a new faucet, several new towel bars or even a vintage vanity table with a big mirror can add some charm to your bathroom.
Finally, one thing that requires nothing but your time and a bit of effort is scrubbing your bathroom until everything is shiny and spotless. Never doubt the importance of both the kitchen and bathrooms when it comes to selling your home.
Enhance the lighting
Any room will appear warmer and more prominent if it’s bright enough. Of course, windows and natural light can play their part here, especially in homes where there’s plenty of sunshine all year round. However, you should also make sure that the lighting fixtures in your home aren’t outdated.
Dim lights won’t bring out the best in your home, so consider replacing your old lighting fixtures with some new ones. This upgrade is actually a very affordable one but can help you sell your home faster one day while making it cozier and more welcoming today.
For instance, by replacing some of those old-fashioned ceiling lights with some elegant pendant lighting or stylish recessed lighting, you’ll make the whole place seem more beautiful without spending too much.
Furthermore, adding LED under-cabinet lighting will make cooking much more comfortable and your kitchen appear larger, and a few decorative lamps in some of your rooms will add to their allure and brightness. Using LED lighting is also a great way to make your home more environmentally friendly. You can lower the carbon foot print of your house by using “going green” tactics.
Make your home bigger
Adding some square footage to your home can make life much more comfortable for you and your family while having an enormous impact on its value and the final price you get for it. There are several ways to do this. First, if you have an attic you’re not using, why not convert it into a guestroom or another bedroom for one of your kids?
You can also renovate your basement and turn it into anything from a guest suite with a mini-kitchen and a bathroom, to a home cinema or a game room. Adding another bathroom is also a smart investment, while a four-season room or a deck will make your home more enjoyable to any buyer, and they can give you and your family more space to relax and enjoy your time together indoors or outdoors.
Don’t forget your curb appeal
The outside of your home should be in as good shape as the inside, and if you’re thinking about selling your home, it should look flawless. Bear in mind that it’s the first thing people see when they approach your property, and it’s also where you and your family can spend quality time together, whether playing sports or simply sipping on lemonade during hot days.
Real Estate agents always emphasize the importance of curb appeal to their clients and for good reason. It makes your house sell quicker and for more money!
One good piece of advice is to go across the street and take a look at your property from there, or maybe even take a photo of it to see if there are parts of your curb that appear less than attractive.
Plant some flowers or other greenery, mow your lawn regularly and trim any bushes you have. Replace or mend the paths leading to your home, repaint your front door and install some lovely-looking lanterns along your walkway or above the door.
You might even consider adding a water feature to your front or back yard. Not only would an artistic fountain or a stone waterfall be a beautiful decoration, but they can also cool down the temperature in your yard a bit.
Final thoughts
There are always excellent ways to add value to your property, no matter what your budget is. All you have to do is explore all your options thoroughly and turn your home into a more delightful place for you and your family, as well as a more appealing one for potential buyers one day.
Other Helpful Home Improvement and Selling Resources
- Home improvements that will help sell your house – do you know some of the better things you can do to your home to help make it sell quicker and for more money? Take a look and find out.
- Prepare your home for an inspection so there are no deal breakers – see what you can do to prepare for the buyer’s home inspection. More sales fall apart at the home inspection than at any other time in a sale. It makes sense to correct any significant issues so your property stands a better chance of passing the inspection with flying colors.
- Cheap home improvements that make a difference – are you strapped for cash but want to do some things to your home that might make a difference? See some of the low cost improvements that can be made for a more timely sale.
Have a look at these additional articles filled with excellent home improvement and house selling advice. The more informed you can be the better.
About the author: The above article on smart ways to increase your home value was written by Amelia Atkins. Amelia is an author at Smooth Decorator and a fresh architecture student. The love for architecture and design runs in her family. She knew what she wanted to do from a very young age. You can often find her with a notepad in hand, just looking at the clouds, dreaming about the next skyscraper.