If you are thinking about selling your home, now is the time to start preparing. Your best strategy to sell fast and at a great price will be to increase the value of your home before you put it on the market. Here are seven ways to increase the value of your home before you sell
1) Improve on Energy Efficiency
The easiest way to increase the value of your home is also one of the most cost-effective. Making energy efficiency improvements—i.e., upgrading insulation, sealing leaks, and installing high-efficiency heating and cooling systems—is an investment that can translate into a lot more money in your pocket when you go to sell it. Typically, green features such as solar panels or rainwater collection systems can add between $10,000 and $30,000 in added value if you plan on selling within two years.
2) Update Fixtures and Flooring
Updating your home’s look will increase its overall value. Even minor changes like adding new countertops or replacing aging fixtures can make a big difference. Flooring is another area where spending money can pay off: Make sure your flooring is in excellent condition and keep an eye out for flooring trends that are becoming more popular. If you have hardwood floors, for example, consider refinishing them or even swapping them out for newer hardwood if they aren’t worth keeping. This can be one of your most expensive renovations since it involves ripping up all existing flooring, but it will also bring some of the biggest returns.
3) Add Decorative Touches
When you’re thinking about selling a home, it can be tempting to focus solely on maintenance issues, since those are much easier to fix than cosmetic ones. But don’t overlook small improvements that will make your home more attractive—that is, after all, one of their main selling points. Invest in paint or new flooring. Hang up some art. Upgrade appliances and fixtures as needed (especially if they look dated). These types of updates have a double benefit: they appeal to potential buyers, and they add value in and of themselves. The bottom line: it pays to spend some time making your home look its best before putting it on the market!
4) Repair the Outside Decking
When selling a home, buyers will look for things that make them say wow. According to Remodelling Magazine, decking is one of five essential exterior upgrades homeowners should make before putting their homes on sale. What can it hurt?
If they aren’t keen on what you’ve done outside, they probably wouldn’t be eager buyers anyway. Plus, if you’re willing to put some work into improving your home’s appearance before putting it on sale, you could also end up seeing an increase in value. That’s because many factors go into determining how much a home is worth—and curb appeal isn’t just one of them. Replacing a new suitable composite deck will enhance the display of the house’s exterior garden. A beautiful garden increases the value of the home.
5) Get Rid of Clutter
To start with, throw out anything you haven’t used in a year. In some cases, you can sell these items, but if that’s not an option for you, donate them or trash them. Purging clutter will help your home feel and look bigger than it is, which will appeal to potential buyers. A better-looking home is always worth more money—and throwing out old stuff can make all your other furniture look better too!
6) Make it Smell Good
While most people put a lot of effort into decorating their home, it’s important to remember that smell is closely linked with memory. So even if you think your place doesn’t have much in common with a Parisian spa, adding scented candles or potpourri can create a welcoming environment and make your house feel like home. It may sound simple, but some scents can trigger powerful emotions—think about how vanilla makes you feel when you walk into a pastry shop, or how putting an orange peel on your kitchen table instantly takes you back to holiday dinners with your family. Consider using ambient lighting instead of harsh overhead lighting when possible, too; it creates a softer atmosphere and casts warm light on areas where people are likely to gather.
7) Improve the Curb Appeal
You may be ready to move, but nobody else is. To make your home more attractive to a larger audience, it needs to make a better first impression. This means sprucing up curb appeal with things like fresh paint and new landscaping. By keeping these key factors in mind, you’ll be able to impress potential buyers immediately, helping set your home apart from others on the market and potentially increasing its value by as much as 3%. When selling your home, presentation is everything.
