You would be surprised at how inexpensive it can be to boost your home's value before you put it on the market for sale. It all comes down to staging your home. In a nutshell, staging means presenting your home in a way that shows its full potential and allows buyers to imagine their families living there.
In fact, According to the National Association of Realtors, buyers are willing to pay 1-5% more for a staged home. For example, a home priced at $300,000 may bring $3,000 to $15,000 above list price if the home is staged and the market conditions are right. That's quite the payoff!
Although you can hire a professional stager, there are many inexpensive ways to stage your home on your own. Let's take a look at how to easily boost your home's value.
Neutral Colors
Vibrant or unique colors are awesome and definitely give homes personality. The problem is that when it comes to selling your home, not everyone has the same taste. For example, if the walls in the living room are red, you may instantly lose buyers who dislike red rooms or dark colors. It is possible that they can't see past their distaste for the color.
Instead, invest in neutral colored paints such as off-whites and repaint rooms. Not only will a fresh coat of paint make the space look fresh, but the neutral colors will appeal to more people and allow them to see the home as a blank canvas that they can put their touch on.
Remove Clutter
Clutter makes a home feel smaller, disorganized, and dirty. Before you put your home on the market, remove all the clutter. Any items you do not use, you can sell, donate, or throw them away. If there are items, such as sentimental items, you want to keep but seldom use, then consider alternate storage until you move into your new home.
Clean! Clean! Clean!
Nothing turns a buyer off quicker than a dirty home. You want buyers to be able to imagine their best life in your home. This will not happen if there are fingerprints on the walls, dirt on the baseboards, and grime on the floor. Do a deep clean on your home. You can either do it yourself or hire someone. The few hundred dollars it may cost to do it, will be well worth it when a buyer is offers you more money.
Increase Energy Efficiency
Protecting the environment and saving on the energy bill is very appealing to buyers. Increasing the energy efficiency of your home is a good way to boost your home's value. Here are some ideas to increase energy efficiency:
- Install a smart thermostat
- Install energy efficient windows
- energy-efficient LED bulbs
- Replace worn out heating and A/C units
- Install energy-efficient appliances
Improve Curb Appeal
Potential buyers form an opinion of your home the second they pull up. It's called curb appeal and is the first impression for almost all buyers. Improving your curb appeal is a quick and easy way to increase your home's value. Here are some tips to boost your curb appeal:
- Ensure a healthy, well-manicured lawn
- Pressure-wash paved driveways and walkways
- Clean the exterior of the home and consider a fresh coat of paint
- Trim all trees and shrubs, especially those around the house
- Trees or shrubs should never block windows
- Remove clutter, debris, and branches
- Tidy up flower beds
- Install flower beds if it doesn't create too much clutter
Be careful not to cram too many things into your yard. If you're unsure how to increase curb appeal, ask the opinion of your family and friends.
Create an Outdoor Living Space
Outdoor living spaces are very popular. Who doesn't enjoy sitting outside on nice evenings, enjoying a nice meal or spending time with family and friends around a fire? Creating an outdoor space, will boost your home's value. How much will depend on the design of your outdoor living area. Here are some ideas:
- Fire pit
- Outdoor kitchen
- Outdoor furniture
- Dedicated paved, stoned, or pebbled space
- Outdoor lighting
- Shelter over your outdoor space
Ready to Sell Your Home?
Every home is different, and the potential for boosting value varies from property to property. Presenting your home in the best light possible, while staying in budget, will help you get top dollar for your house.
Legacy Real Estate is here to help you get the highest dollar for your home. Contact us today and let us show you what we can do for you.
