You’ve lived in your house for years. You think it’s time to move on to greener pastures. Maybe your family has outgrown your current home.
You’re now thinking about selling your home in the near future. You’re probably wondering if you should invest the time and money into renovations.
Some simple renovations could boost the market value of your home and boost its sellability. You need to be able to appeal to potential buyers.
Are you asking yourself, “How do I sell my house?” Continue reading to learn about why you should consider investing in renovations before selling.
Focus on Sellability
Major renovations are great if you plan to live in your home for decades to come. Otherwise, they could end up costing you more than you can recoup.
Not all renovations will produce the same effect. Think about buyers will want to see when they step into your home.
There are two areas of your home you should focus most of your efforts. These are the kitchen and bathrooms. They’re the two major selling points of any home.
Kitchen and bathroom improvements are most likely to raise the market value of your house. This is because people spend a great deal of time in these two areas of their home.
Put yourself in the shoes of a buyer (maybe it’s been a while). Would you want to walk into a home and see a kitchen that hasn’t been updated since 1974? Probably not.
Likewise, you won’t want to walk into a bathroom with moldy tiles and a dingy toilet.
Stick With Simplicity
If you plan to sell, don’t over-improve. This would be a gross waste of time and money. Sometimes, all you need to do is focus on cleaning things up and getting rid of clutter.
Here are some simple changes you can make with a free weekend:
Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are at eye level. This means they’re bound to draw a lot of attention when a potential buyer walks in.
A complete cabinet replacement could leave your pocket feeling sore. Unless they’re falling apart or otherwise unacceptable, don’t aim to replace them.
You’ll be better off giving your cabinets a fresh coat of paint or stain. This is an easy project you can do over the course of a weekend. The biggest cost here will be the paint or stain.
This project may not add a whole lot of value to the home, but it will make it more appealing to buyers.
Replace Fixtures
Replacing kitchen and bathroom fixtures isn’t always a cheap fix. However, it will certainly improve the aesthetic appeal of each of these areas.
The process is simple. You can take on this project by yourself if you need to.
This is an easy way to inspire a more updated feel in the kitchen and bathroom alike. For example, you might consider new cabinet door handles. This is a cost-effective and visible renovation.
Replacing showerheads and faucets could run your bill into the hundreds of dollars. Still, these fixtures are easy to replace and add aesthetic value.
Repaint the Walls
A fresh coat of paint is the best way to refresh your home. You’ll need to consider the overall feel of your home.
Avoid dark colors, as these can make a room feel smaller. Brighter colors reflect light and make an area appear larger. That is especially important in small rooms, such as bathrooms and smaller bedrooms.
Neutral hues will appeal more to contemporary home buyers.
Window Washing
Clean windows improve the curb appeal of a home. The house will appear more attractive from the outside.
How often do you think about cleaning your windows? Probably not very often, right?
If you’re planning to sell your home, this is a good time to start thinking about those windows. Potential buyers will be more likely to want to see the inside.
Lighting
No one wants to walk into a house and feel like they’ve been attacked by darkness. Lighting is important.
Take a look at your lighting fixtures and decide if it’s time to upgrade them. Fixtures that are reminiscent of a particular point in time could be a good thing.
However, if you’re lighting fixtures look dated, it could be time to replace them. This is another project you can do yourself without breaking the bank.
Kitchen Countertops
This endeavor may be expensive and time-consuming. However, you may need to add a bit of aesthetic appeal to your kitchen.
If your countertops are composed of ceramic tiles, you should consider replacing them. Buyers do not favor ceramic tiles.
This is probably the best area to consider a major renovation. Natural stone countertops will add the most value to your home. You’ll need to consider the cost, though.
Natural stone countertops could cost you thousands of dollars. A cheaper alternative is laminate countertops.
Laminate countertops may not be quite as luxurious, but they’re functional and look good.
Target Your Market
When you’re thinking about renovations, consider the taste level of the surrounding area. Are the people in the area drawn toward certain colors, textures, and materials?
It may be best to stick with these aesthetic trends. Going against them may be great for you, but it’s not great for sellability.
You may find yourself in an area that values unique homes. If that’s the case, you may find more freedom in choosing your materials and styles.
I Want to Sell My House!
Selling your house can be a dramatic change, and there are many questions to consider. If you find yourself saying, “I want to sell my house,” then it may be time to think about some renovations.
You don’t need to break the bank with crazy renovations to add value to your home. Consider simple fixes that will improve the look.
Remember that buyers will only take a few seconds to capture an image of each portion of the house.
Visit here to discover more about preparing your house for the market.
