Updating and prepping your house for sale can be intimidating. The little repairs you were happy to postpone for another day may seem like glaring problems to potential buyers once your house is on sale. So what do you do? A great option is to put some time and money into a few repairs that will help get the house market-ready.
While getting your house in tip-top shape before listing can help you sell it quicker and for more money, not all upgrades are worth the time and expense. Here’s a look at seven improvements that can yield big returns on the closing day.
1. Painting
Painting is a low-cost improvement with a high rate of return, so it’s no surprise that 36% of property owners looking to sell family homes choose to do it. When trying to sell, choose a neutral color to give the greatest appeal to the most buyers. White, for example, is a great color to choose from. Not only can a nice coat of white paint give the entire house a face-lift but it’s the best color to paint over, just in case the prospective buyer hates the color white. Fresh paint can go a long way in refreshing your home’s look, according to the experts at Gustafson Painting. Consider getting color recommendations from an expert before starting the paint job as colors can be tricky depending on lighting and other features such as flooring and cabinets.
2. Update Lighting Fixtures
Lighting is an area that is often ignored when it comes to housing remodels and renovations. Replacing lighting fixtures throughout a house is a simple update that can make a huge impact where appearance is concerned. You can choose to change lampshades, install modern pendants and chandeliers, change ceiling fixtures, and increase the wattage of your light bulb. As you look for options for lighting fixtures and homewares, remember to keep colors consistent with the hardware in the house. For example, you can play around with metals such as oiled bronze and copper or chrome with brushed nickel, but you wouldn’t want to mix silver and gold tones.
3. Landscaping Your Yard
Your home’s exterior is the first impression for cash buyers for houses when they pull up. An overgrown or patchy yard can be a major turn-off. Be sure to clear weeds, edge sidewalks and sideways, remove any dead plants, and cut back overgrown trees and bushes. Also, re-sod or plant grass seed, fertilize your yard and apply fresh mulch or straws in any beds. A fresh-looking garden will make your house feel more inviting. What’s more, landscaping the yard can guarantee a 100% return on the money you invested into the home’s curb appeal when closing the property sale deal.
4. Update the Kitchen and Bathroom – As Needed
Real estate professionals and estate agents stress that the kitchen and bathrooms are the most important areas of any housing facility. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to completely overhaul these areas when looking to sell a family home.
An upscale kitchen and bathroom remodel have a return on investment (ROI) of less than 65%. Looking at this number, it doesn’t make sense to spend a lot on bathroom and kitchen remodels to sell a mortgaged house. However, since these are high profile areas cash buyers for houses will concentrate on, there is a great deal of value in an inviting bathroom or kitchen.
If the kitchen or bathroom is woefully unappealing or outdated, make a few renovations such as refreshing cabinets and installing laminate countertops. On the other hand, if the area seems nice enough, you can leave it as is.
5. Update the Front Door
Putting some time and money into your front door can give your up to 98% return. Plus, a new door will add to curb appeal making your property more attractive to potential buyers as well as a tangible piece of security. When making a property sale, you may also consider updating the garage door as it pays off off the same way an updated front door does.
6. Declutter and Depersonalize
While this does not directly increase the value of your property, it will help speed up the sale process. Clearing out storage areas such as cabinets and closets will help your house appear spacious and make it easy for potential buyers to picture themselves living in the house. Also, when moving house, make sure to depersonalize as this will help buyers envision themselves living in the house. Remove personal stuff like personal keepsakes, homewares, memorabilia collections, and family photos.
7. Consider the Market’s Tastes, Not Yours
Remodels made when moving house does not need to align with your tastes. This is a case of correcting anything that turns off buyers than it is grabbing remodel trends. If you have anything in your house that real estate agents say you might want to avoid, this is the time to listen.
These are just some of the renovations that can help you sell your house fast and for good money. Other fix-ups to consider are replacing worn or stained carpeting, repairing the roof, replacing old drapes and window coverings, and broken windows if necessary.
If you’re looking to sell your house fast, WeBuyAnyHome can purchase it within seven days with no legal fees or charges. Whether it is a family house or mortgage house, the company can buy it saving you the stress of the buying process.
