6 Smart, Valuable Pre-Sale Updates that Raise Your Home’s Value

We understand that as a seller, whether the homeowner, realtor, or investor you want to show a home in confidence. Showcasing a presentable and sell-able home does require some work. A home rarely sells quickly without some preparation. Small updates and some major ones can impact the market and what you are looking to achieve in the sale. Is your home a small condominium suited to a single professional or is your home well designed to welcome a family with lots of space, bedrooms and a backyard?  How you present your home better serves the potential client in wanting to make your home theirs! Here are our tips on preparing your home wisely for your return on investment.

1. Get a Fresh Coat of Paint

A fresh coat of paint gives major overhaul to any home, one that you are selling or keeping. Finding the perfect color  can help your buyer  feel right at home the minute they enter the door. Choose a lighter color that makes the home feel bigger, welcoming and calm.  A  neutral palette can also leave much to the buyer’s imagination for how they may want to style their home and make the space feel larger. A few of my favorites are Benjamin Moore Sea Pearl, Pale Oak and Balboa Mist.

2. Update Your Light Fixtures

Outdated light fixtures can, even in a fairly updated home, stick out like a sore thumb and out date the entire home.  Without a doubt, your light source has the most impact on a space. Choose a lighting style that is current and fits the nature of the space.  Lighting also doesn’t have to be fancy to have an impact. We often choose simple, yet elegantly crafted fixtures that transform the simplest of spaces.

 

3. Add More Living Space

Be careful on where and what you edit. You want to be smart about how much you invest in the property and home.  Consider whether or not the investment adds value and space to the existing home.  Smaller, less costly additions like office space or the addition of a finished closet or laundry room can add the value to the home and living area without breaking the bank.   We highly recommend consulting with a professional before opening your wallet and making investments for selling.

 

4. Remove Signs of Aging

CHARACTER. Each home has it’s own character from the decade in which is was built. Without straying too far from the construction time period it is also nice to keep some of the homes’ original features that make it special.  Remedy the signs of aging in the home, but don’t strip it of its character. People like “special” in a home. They love originality and character. Updating original home features like wainscoting, molding and built ins with a fresh coat of paint can update the look without stripping it of its character. Refinishing original flooring can open up the space and make it feel new again.

 

5. Tune Up the Landscaping

CURB APPEAL. That first impression is a lasting impression. When that potential buyer pulls up to the driveway and sees the home for the first time, the landscaping should always look presentable, manageable, yet appealing. Add some color to the curbside landscaping. Paint the door.  A simply decorated porch is a winner.  Potted flowers at the doorstep are always a nice welcome!

 

6. Invest in Home Staging

SET THE STAGE. Home staging  can mean everything to the buyer. How the furniture is placed, what accessories are used and even adding small details like place settings, fresh flowers and home baked goods can have an effect on the buyers’ first thoughts as they enter your home.  What may seem like minor details can aid the potential buyer in envisioning themselves living in the home.

  Wondering whether your home needs certain updates? Call us for a consultation and we’ll make it well worth your while! Cheers, Diane