Quick Sale? These 6 Fast Projects Boost Resale Value Without Breaking the Bank

Written by Posted On Wednesday, 25 May 2016 08:45

People relocate for all sorts of reasons. In many cases, there’s no big hurry — a “get there when you get there” kind of deal. In others, time is of the essence. Which boat are you in?

If you’re trying to sell your house fast, it had better clean up good. Here’s a look at six super quick projects that can boost your home’s resale value and move it into the “sold” column faster than you ever thought possible.

 

1. Add Energy-Efficient Lighting

Old, incandescent lightbulbs quite literally burn money — slowly, of course, and without fire risk. They also burn out faster, necessitating replacement when it’s not at all convenient. For perhaps $100 and an hour or two of your time, you can easily replace most or all of your home’s inefficient incandescents — and save your home’s eventual buyers a few hundred bucks in utility costs down the road.

 

2. Touch Up the Bathrooms

What do new toilet seats, new faucet heads and handles, new grout, and a deep-cleaned tub all have in common? They all enhance the appeal of your home’s most, ahem, important room(s) without requiring a costly, time-consuming professional remodel.

 

3. Raise Your Home’s IQ

Homes don’t actually have intelligence quotients, but they can be smart. Installing smart home devices is a quick, easy way to boost your home’s appeal to discerning buyers, particularly affluent millennials seeking low-maintenance, move-in ready properties. Smart locks (next-gen security systems), smart thermostats (power savings up the wazoo), and smart irrigators (super clutch in drought-prone areas) are all relatively inexpensive (as in, a few hundred bucks or less) ways to significantly boost your home’s curb appeal and resale value.

 

4. Turn That Den Into a Bedroom

In most zoning districts, a bedroom isn’t a bedroom until it has a closet. That’s too bad, because there are a lot of bonus rooms out there that would be great spare bedrooms but for lack of structural storage. If you’re handy, adding a closet is well within your capabilities. Just make sure you update your listing’s bed count when you’re done!


 

5. Spruce Up the Front Yard

Even if you’re not an avid gardener, an afternoon in the dirt could really make a difference when it comes time to sell. Mow your lawn, plant colorful annuals along your front walkway, add a shrub or two along the exterior of your house, and consider hedging in your front yard or driveway. The new buyer can always change what you’ve done — the important thing is that the home looks cared-for and inviting.

 

6. Clean or Revamp the Floors

Floors can make or break a home. If your carpets are old, dirty or faded, invest in a professional cleaning service. If they’re beyond repair, rip ‘em up and bring the wood underneath back to life. (A gentle cleaning and color-appropriate treatment should do the trick.) For a slightly more ambitious, slightly costlier project that’s likely to add much more value, consider replacing your home’s old floors with low-cost, easy-to-clean bamboo wood flooring.

 

What are you doing to boost your home’s resale value for a quick sale?

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