Have you ever wondered how to increase the value of your home to make it more valuable for a possible sale?
Every property owner is interested in getting as much value out of their property as possible with little or no investment. Curb appeal is everything and first impressions really are key as you may never get a buyer to take a second look if you are not prepared.
I could tell you some horror stories about homeowners who listed their properties and literally scared away possible buyers just because they didn’t make a very minimal investment of time and money to make sure their property was neat, clean, and in order ahead of time.
With that being said here are 10 easy ways to improve the value of your property and/or prepare it for a SALE and without breaking the bank!
1) Paint or replace the front door and the trim around it. As this will be the first and last thing people will see from their evaluation of your home, make it impressive and memorable.
2) Walk around your house and evaluate the paint job or vinyl siding if you have any. Painting your home may be the most time-consuming task of all the tips offered here, but it is definitely affordable and possible for most people. It is also a wonderful way to improve the appearance of your house.
3) Clean your roof off by removing leaves and tree limbs and don’t forget to clean those gutters and downspouts. Pressure washing the roof and other areas may do a lot for appearance as well.
4) A clean driveway without oil stains, FREE of debris or litter will do wonders for a property.
5) Take a long, hard look at your yard. Trimming the shrubbery and trees and keeping the grass looking good is a must (Some people are even spray painting their lawns green to present a fresher look). Another nice touch: Planting flowers can add color and style to a dull yard.
6) Check your gates and fences for serviceability. Are the entrances in working order? A quick, cheap fix is to make sure hinges and latches are oiled and working properly or even replaced if necessary. Don’t be shy about slapping a new coat of paint on your fence if needed.
7) Clean out your garage. You haven’t listened to those vinyl records since the 60’s and you took that gnome statue out of your yard 5 years ago! If you need to make some quick extra cash, hold a yard sale or put your old belongings on eBay. If you just have to keep these things, then consider options for storage. You want your potential buyers to be thinking about all the space they will have available for their cars (or even their junk!) in their new garage. Repeat this process in your attic and basement if you have those as well.
8) Make sure your windows and shutters look clean, painted, and are in working order well in advance of any open houses or showings.
9) Ensure that the interior of your home is neat and clean, but also SMELLS good. Ever notice how GOOD the smell of those Aromatherapy candles makes you FEEL? I have literally been in houses where the scent of the day was WET DOG. This will turn a buyer off faster than all of the other points combined. Cleanliness really is next to godliness in this instance.
10) Patch up any holes or chips in the walls with dry wall or spackling compound, followed by sanding and painting. All the materials are affordable at any local home improvement store and with a minimal amount of effort.
These are just a few items that will help you in your home improvement mission. You already know more about your property than anyone else and now you have a good reminder list to help you get started making your property more valuable and easier to sell. This is needed even more in these tough economic times. This will help sell your property for more money and in most cases you will sell faster. Even if you only implement one or two of these tips, you will be in a much better position as a homeowner and seller.
Remember the acronym CASH: “Curb Appeal Sells Houses”!