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5 Easy Projects That Boost A Home’s Value

Written by Posted On Friday, 08 July 2016 03:16

When we get ready to sell our home, we want to get the most out of our investment. We know we need the house to look its best to attract buyers and get a higher price. Yet we don’t want to drain our bank accounts or spend six weeks on a DIY project. The solution? Explore these five easy, affordable ways to boost your home’s value.

 

Buyers Beeline to the Kitchen

The term “The Kitchen is King” has become a maxim. Buyers make a beeline from the front door to the kitchen because it’s now the heart of the home. Think about how guests congregate around the island in an open kitchen.

But isn’t remodeling a kitchen expensive? Quartz countertops, new cabinetry … well, if your best friend is not a contractor, who can tear out walls and install new cabinets on the cheap, then you and I are in the same DIY boat.

 

So here’s our kitchen project:

  • Paint cabinets with a neutral color (more below on neutral pallets). Alternatively, if your budget permits, have them professionally resurfaced. The latter is inexpensive and looks fantastic! It works for countertops too.

     

  • Replace the sink and fixtures. Buy a well-made faucet that matches newly purchased knobs and light fixtures in the kitchen area.

  • Reface appliances with stainless steel, instead of buying a new set. If an appliance is broken beyond repair, invest in a new one. You’ll get a solid return on that investment.

 

Trim that Transforms

Trim, like crown moulding and new baseboards, can transform any home into a handsome space. Whether your style is modern or traditional, you can find moulding that instantly boosts the value of your home. To boot, moulding, wainscoting and window casings are rather inexpensive. Consider the following projects to truly transform your home:

  • Add crown moulding, new baseboards and window casings to the main rooms of your home, especially the family, living or great rooms. This can be a DIY project or part DIY/ part professional project.

  • Value will be added to hallways just by installing new baseboards.

  • Strongly consider installing at least crown moulding and baseboards to your bedrooms. Plain, small rooms will be converted into charming spaces.

  • If the budget permits, add wainscoting and a ceiling medallion to a dining area. These touches will WOW buyers.

     

  • For a few extra bucks, install at least one type of trim in the bathroom, like wainscoting or a chair rail. It will dramatically alter the bathroom.

  • Professionals can help you choose the right crown moulding or other trim to create an amazing interior.

Paint is a Potent Upgrade

A clean freshly painted room, especially when combined with new trim, is equivalent to a major renovation. A coat of paint is one of the cheapest ways to raise the value of any home. It’s also the easiest and quickest of all DIY projects. Here’s how to get the most bang for your buck with a few cans of paint:

  • Choose neutral colors. This approach is best for three main reasons: it brightens rooms, making them appear larger; it won’t turn off those who hate your purple walls; and it allows them to easily imagine the home as a kind of blank canvas, which buyers can transform into their own unique creation.

  • What are neutral palettes? Many exist. Different hues of whites, yellows, and grays are popular. By using colors in the same palette, the buyer will walk from room to room with a feeling of seamless cohesion.

  • For kitchens and bathrooms, shades of yellow are most popular.

  • Check out color palette ideas at Better Homes & Gardens Nature-Inspired Color Palettes.

 

Fixtures Yield Financial Gain

Take a look around your home. Do you see outdated door handles and cabinet knobs? What about funky light fixtures? If so, get rid of them! Pronto. Replacing fixtures is another simple DIY that updates a home and yields a considerable return. Here are a few fixture recommendations:

 

  • Installing cheap faucets is a really bad idea. Saving money is key, but home buyers notice cheap faucets with dinky handles. When buyers see these little red flags, they wonder if you’ve skimped on more substantial things.

  • Put a little money into kitchen and bathroom faucets. Buying classy looking, well-made faucets will be noticed.

     

  • Fixtures like knobs, hinges, toilet paper roll holders, towel hangers are relatively inexpensive. Matching sets of these in brushed nickel, stainless steel or oil-rubbed bronze throughout the house will have a powerful impact on buyers.

     

  • Chandeliers are trendy. Pick out a cool decorative one with sparkle. Hang it in the master bedroom or another prominent spot.

 

Flowers & Foliage that Transfix

Don’t forget the yard! If you hate yard work, we have at least one thing in common. But if you want to add a few thousand dollars to your home price, we have something else in common. A little landscaping provides curb appeal. Just a few bright flower pots set a positive mood and create a positive mindset as buyers enter your home.

Consider doing a couple hundred dollars worth of landscaping. For example:

  • Clean up that front yard. Mow the lawn, trim the bushes, cut back unruly branches and tear out weeds and dying flowers or plants.

     

  • Add new flowerpots with flowers that last a full season; plant small shrubs and/or colorful complementary grasses in vacant areas; and add a couple of really beautiful hanging plants near the home’s entrance.


Best of luck with your renovations!

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