On average, homeowners spent $10,300 on home improvements; this was split between an average of 3.7 projects. When asked, many of those doing home improvements said their goal was to increase home value.
Although that might seem like a hefty chunk of money to spend, it’s a good investment if you’re thinking of selling your home. You are most likely to get that amount back, and more if you go about it strategically.
You might be wondering which home upgrades will have the biggest impact and will increase home value the most. After all, you don’t want to put money and effort into a project that will have little return on investment.
In this article, we give you the top home renovation ideas you should do before listing your house for sale. Read on to find out more.
How to Increase Home Value
The first thing to understand when you’re looking at home remodel projects is which ones will have the biggest impact on the value of your home and will add the most dollar to the sale. These are the top five things you should think about investing in:
- Installing new wooden floors
- Refinishing existing hardwood floors
- Improving the insulation of your home
- Renovating closets
- Converting basements into an extra living space
Inexpensive Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home
What if you don’t have the funds right now to invest in large-scale projects? If you’re looking for inexpensive ways to increase the value of your property, here are some other things you should be doing.
Clean and Declutter
Before you put your house on the market, one of the most important things you should do is declutter it. This means putting away personal items and having clean and open spaces. Too many items in a room can make it look smaller and darker.
Start by going through all of your shelves, closets, and cabinets. Decide if you still need or want the item. If you don’t, either donate it to charity, sell it, or throw it away. Go through every storage area in every room of your house and be strict with yourself.
Put non-essential items you want to keep into storage and then give rooms a thorough cleaning. If you can’t face the task of cleaning, then you may want to outsource this to a professional agency.
Spruce up Rooms With Fresh Paint
Once you’ve cleaned and decluttered rooms, another inexpensive way to increase the value of your home is to give walls a fresh coat of paint to bring life back into rooms.
It’s also a good opportunity to repair any damage on the walls, such as holes from pictures, scuff marks, and dirty patches.
If you have any unusual color schemes, then it’s a good idea to put these back to a color that has a more universal appeal. Try to stick to light and neutral colors, so that the new owner can see a blank canvas om which they can envision themselves and their belongings.
If all the rooms have been cleared of clutter, this can be a job you could complete in a weekend. If you don’t want to paint the rooms yourself, then hire a professional painter to do it.
Two rooms that buyers are most interested in are the kitchens and bathrooms, so it’s a good idea to focus on making these look fresh and clean.
Don’t Forget the Exterior
The outside of your home will be the first thing potential buyers will see, and as the age-old saying goes, first impressions count.
Be sure to tidy up your front yard and outside of your home. Things like power washing your driveway, removing dead plants, cleaning windows, and mowing the lawn will all help to improve the overall aesthetic.
Add some shrubs and planters to make the front of your home look welcoming. You might also want to give your front door a lick of paint and update any door furnishings to add extra appeal.
Stage Your Home
You want to present your home in the best possible way. This can be another easy fix to do before selling your property.
If you look through any home decor magazine, you’ll see examples of home staging in there. Each room will have a focal point, as well as sympathetic lighting.
You want to make your home appeal to potential buyers. Easy things include adding fresh flowers, using ambient lighting, and making sure the rooms are heated – no one wants to move into a cold home. You could even add fragrances to leave a positive impact on viewers.
If you have unfurnished spaces, such as closets or basements, then add some furnishings to these areas to give them a purpose. You can do simple things like put up drywall, or add a carpet, shelves, and ambient lighting to give an unfurnished space more appeal.
Upgrade Your Energy-Efficiency
Potential buyers will be interested in the energy efficiency of your home, as this will lower the ongoing running costs.
Simple things like adding fresh sealant to windows and doors as well as checking the insulation in your roof will all help keep your energy consumption low.
Other things to look at are upgrading things like lightbulbs to energy-efficient ones as well as any appliances to an energy-efficient model.
Are You Ready to Sell Your Home?
How many of these ideas have you done to get your home ready to sell? If you’ve done everything possible to increase home value and you’re ready for the next stage of the process, then the next step is to get it on the market.
At We Buy Houses, we specialize in purchasing homes in a fast and hassle-free way. We have no fees and no commissions which means more cash in your pocket. If you’re ready to sell your home contact one of our team to get a cash offer for your property today.