Every home should look as if it is lived in and cared for. Little details maintained now can increase the value of a home later should you choose to sell it. Here is a guide on what home buyers are looking for in the fine details in 2018.

Landscaping

You can add curb appeal and boost your home’s resale value by doing a little bit of landscaping with things like hanging plant baskets for instance. Trees and shrubbery badly in need of pruning, or areas that need reseeding or re-sodding can reduce appeal for potential buyers. A buyer will always see the outside of a home first, so that’s where the first impression has to be made. If the yard looks poor or overgrown, chances are they will move on.

Simple landscaping maintenance tasks are something that can pay off big dividends when it comes time for buyers to make an offer. By investing as little as $500 -$600, a little landscaping can easily add more than four times the return on investment.

Add a Deck or Outdoor Room

Outdoor seating and eating areas are high on the list of desirable amenities for home buyers. It’s important to note, however, that while most homeowners (65%) will attempt to save money by doing it themselves, such additions need to be up to current building codes. If you don’t know what you’re doing, that can mean paying more money to bring it up to code at the time of inspection. “Homeowners can recoup 80% of the value of their investment when installing a deck. But it needs to be done right,” says Laurence B. Green, attorney and co-founder of Berger and Green law offices in Pittsburgh. “A deck that is improperly constructed adds a significant premise liability and a real nightmare if someone gets hurt or if it collapses.”

Update Your Kitchen and Bathroom

The one room that sells a home more than any other is the kitchen. You can spend a lot of money putting in new appliances, or you can make some small changes that can spruce up your current kitchen to make it much more appealing without spending a small fortune. By spending under $1,000 and a little bit of time, you can make kitchen and bathroom improvements, according to Bathroom Warehouse, that can wow potential buyers. Even better, many of these can be done by the homeowner.

If you plan on replacing a kitchen island or something major like that, hiring a professional would be a better option. But something replacing fixtures is within the reach of a homeowner. Even new faucets that feature brushed nickel pull out hose attachments can be purchased for under $500 and can make an entire kitchen seem more modern.

Focusing on the fine details can be just the thing that convinces a client to buy your property. If you’re struggling to sell, consider looking at the finer details.