Every year thousands of homeowners decide to dress up their property to put on the market. Needless to say, the time and money invested in small projects are often better left
alone. Before you head to the home improvement store, consider these facts.
Keep Your Yard Presentable
When a prospective buyer pulls up to your property, their eyes are checking out every detail of your yard and home's exterior. If the grass shows signs of thick cuttings and weeds growing around the house, it is evident that pride has not been on this owner's priority list. Pull up the weeds, rake the dead cuttings and take a walk around the exterior of your house. It is not necessary to invest in plants and bushes to maintain a well-kept look to your property. If time is a problem, hire a landscaping company to clean up and make suggestions to improve your yard's look.
Make Maintenance a Priority
Dirt and debris that is stuck on your house siding, cracked windows, and a sorry-looking front door will scare away the most interested parties. If they do venture inside, be prepared for them to test every faucet, light switch and HVAC system for problems. The more that you can do to make the outside of your house sparkle, the less critical your potential home buyer will be.
Clean, Clean, Clean
It may not be obvious to you, but if routine cleaning has not been done in your home, it shows. What is worse, smells could be lingering from the lack of attention if potential buyers decide to step into your home. Now is the time to get a second opinion on what your home needs as far as cleaning goes. A professional cleaning service is trained to see dirt that you may have missed.
Don't Fret about the Decor
Trying to redo your entire house with the latest designs in a short amount of time is the worst thing that you can do. Instead of replacing that 20-year old couch, look at the walls. If they are anything but neutral in colour, paint them. If it has been over five years since your ceilings and walls have had a fresh coat of paint, paint them. Yellowing and musty smells may not be evident to you but will stick out to visitors.
Replace Dated Window Treatments
While it would be nice to remodel the bathroom and the kitchen, ask yourself if the cost is worth the trouble. You could be looking at upwards of $50,000 to increase the value of your home by $40,000. Use common sense before embarking on a major remodel project. You may be able to flatter a room by adding plantation blinds in the place of old and dreary looking insulated drapes. Natural light is a plus when showing a house and will help you realize what areas need work. If you have been using wide curtains to cover an unsightly area, fix it. Areas like these will become obvious once the window treatments are gone.
Pouring money into a home that can be improved by just a few inexpensive maintenance updates will help you realize just how lovely your house can be. Always start with the minimal maintenance improvements first. Get advice from a professional realtor or appraiser for an unbiased opinion on where to go from here. You may discover that the roof needs attention; the HVAC needs to be updated or that there is a crack in the foundation. These are expensive items to repair, but necessary. If you had spent the money on remodelling a room before a major problem was found, you would never retrieve your money.
Improving the value of your home should always start with repair and maintenance. Go slow with cosmetics to avoid spending too much money as opposed to value.
