Let’s be frank here. The price you paid when you bought your home isn’t going to be the same when it comes time to sell. As such, most homeowners who are looking to move and sell real estate will remodel to increase the market value.
However, refurbishing your home doesn’t have to involve pricey repairs to make it catch a potential buyer’s eye. In the following text, we’ll list eight bang for your buck home improvement ideas that will make your property set itself apart from others on the market.
1. Let The Light In
Unless you’re dealing with ghouls or vampires, the first thing you’ll need to look out for is the amount of light. Yup, the more natural light, the more valuable your home will be. In theory, you can accomplish this by bringing down walls blocking the sunlight from sparkling up your home. Of course, some walls are there for a reason — they’re load-bearing. However, this isn’t something you can easily do, and, more importantly, it will cost a lot. There are many other less expensive ways to increase natural light in your home.
Adding mirrors and shiny objects is the way to start. The interior of your home will be able to reflect more light, making the entire room appear bigger. These items can include anything from furniture with glass or metal accents to shiny cabinets and decorations. It all comes down to your budget and how much you’re willing to invest. Installing a skylight is an excellent choice, but this isn’t something everyone will decide to do.
2. Curb Appeal and Landscaping
It’s not uncommon to come across drive-by home buyers these days. These people won’t bother to come in if they don’t like how your home looks from the outside. Still, you can’t blame them. Curb appeal is the first impression someone gets when they come across real estate for sale. So, go outside and inspect your home to find out what you can fix to increase
its appeal and market value.
Some suggestions are to Paint your home, fix driveway cracks and the garage door, and plant some flowers in the front yard. Painting your home is one of the most important parts if you are looking to add value to it. This includes both interior and exterior. Ensuring that everything is spotless will do wonders for the first impression, and choosing the right color of the interior rooms will make them appear in a whole new light. To add to the previous step, the right color will liven up the room allowing more natural light in it.
3. Redecorate Your Basement
If you stop to think about it, basements are some of the most popular areas in many homes across the country. From being great hang-out spots to acting like improvised gyms, there are all sorts of things you can do inside them. In some cases, homeowners even redecorate them to be cozy guest rooms. Nevertheless, a finished basement is one of the best investments you can make to up your home’s market value.
But even if you don’t plan on investing as much in your basement, there are still a couple of things to do. If you have things in your basement you don’t need (and we all do), throw them away. You can at least make the basement look clean, so the next owner can use the space as they please.
4. Remodel or Add Another Bathroom
This won’t come as a surprise to anyone, but we still have to mention it. Bathroom remodeling is as essential as any of the previous tips. Having one that’s in a bad state can make or break a deal. No one wants to buy a home that’s lacking proper pipework, enough room, or a scrappy motel-like shower. Hence, make sure you tidy it up before any potential buyer comes over and checks out your place.
In the majority of cases, a proper clean-up will do the trick. If there is anything that needs to be fixed, you will need to do it as soon as possible. Telling your potential customer that the washing machine is not working will not impress them, and the best course of action would be to repair it or get a new one. Naturally, it all comes down to your budget, and you should invest as much as you can afford.
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5. Minor Kitchen Remodel
Just like taking care of the basement, you should look into minor kitchen remodeling. This shouldn’t be anything complex and expensive. Simply make sure there’s enough space for potential buyers to cook, wash dishes, and sit around a table while having a meal. You can do this by getting rid of any old furniture or appliances that are wasting space or simply don’t function properly anymore.
You can invest in new kitchenware, replace anything old and unusable, and make the place look like the best version of itself. Once again, you don’t need to tear the old place down and build it from scratch. Just polish everything and ensure that all appliances are working. Now is a perfect time to fix the kitchen cabinet or simply throw away the microwave that’s not working.
Furthermore, another easy yet effective way to add value to your home is to add a window over the kitchen sink. It won’t be anything practical, but it will look good and will leave a great impression when buyers come over to check out your home. You can also replace old countertops, adding marble, granite, or some other fancy material. Just be careful not to spend too much money, and you’ll be good to go.
6. Entry Door Replacement
Your entry door is one of the first things your potential buyer will see, which is why it needs to make a great first impression. The choices for the front door are almost limitless. One of the best options you’ll have is getting a fiberglass door, and it will breathe a new life into your home.
Needless to say, if you already have a decent door, it will be more than enough to paint it just to make them look newer. You’d be surprised by how much you can achieve with fresh paint. The entire house will look better, and it isn’t something that will cost you a fortune.
7. Backyard Investment
We’ve already talked about how you can add value to your home by cleaning your basement. However, that’s not all. Many homes in Northern America have pools, decks, and fireplaces in their backyard. These elements allow for fun parties, family dinners, and all other social events to occur on your property. As such, many potential buyers will look for them while picking their new home.
Sure, making a brand-new pool is expensive, and it might not be a smart investment, but if you do have one, make sure it’s clean and ready before buyers come over. However, decks and fireplaces don’t cost so much to construct. This part of home remodeling can prove to have a big impact on your home, upping its value by some distance.
8. Home Office
The last year and a half were pretty weird, to put it mildly. However, during this pandemic, most of us learned that we can do our jobs remotely just as effectively as we would while in our offices. The only problem was to find proper space to have the required peace and quiet while we were on our laptops. In other words, COVID-19 real estate sales will fully rely on improvised home offices.
But what makes a proper home office? Well, it’s not that complex. Every office should be facing the backyard and have enough natural light. Hence, if you can pull it off logistically, you should look into sparing one such room for a home office. This will greatly affect the price of your home on the market. Moreover, it will make it a great choice for anyone looking to manage work hours remotely.
Final Thoughts
Aside from previously mentioned remodeling projects, you can always inspect your roof, change floorings, and do many other things. But no matter what you opt for, make sure you don’t spend more money than you need to. Making your home more attractive for potential buyers doesn’t have to be expensive. The point is in little details that can catch people’s eyes (e.g. fireplaces and windows over kitchen sinks). Hence, try and look at things from a buyer’s perspective and occupy their mindset.
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