By Andrew Salmon
Selling your home can be hard enough from an emotional standpoint. Losing out on a top dollar selling price only adds insult to injury. However, taking on debt preparing your home for the next occupants may not be the best plan of action either. So let’s shoot for some middle ground here with five affordable ways to increase the resale value of your home.
Do-It-Yourself Profit
This first option won’t drain your wallet, but you’ll have to be prepared to put in some time. You know those simple, small home repairs you never seemed to be able to get around to doing? Well, it’s time to do them. Fix cracks in walls, repair that banister, clean out those gutters. You know what needs to be done, you’ve been avoiding the work for years, haven’t you? Roll up your sleeves and get to work.
Home Cosmetics
Once you’ve got the house as sound as you can manage, it’s time to make like Joan Rivers and let the cosmetic surgery begin. Sand the floors, slap a coat of fresh paint on everything – choose a neutral color for best effect. Tighten loose light switch covers, sweep every surface. Wash the windows until they blind the neighbors. Your home is getting ready for its Big Day. You want everything to look just right. You need to evaluate everything.
The Money Is In The Details
Continuing along the lines of #2 on this list, you may want to think about any low cost renovations that are beyond your ability or skills. Adding an outside deck or patio increases the value of your home. Swap out your old appliances for new. Pay to switch the light bulbs to the energy efficient alternative, maybe even put in new light fixtures altogether.
Get Out In That Yard
Slaving over your house until it’s a gleaming palace will all be for nought if no one can see it through the jungles you call your front and back yards. Turn that lawn into a putting green, prune back bushes and shrubs until they are neat and tidy. Put in flower accents where needed. The key is to make these embellishments subtle. Don’t forget we’re talking about the frame here, not the picture. You want to draw potential buyers’ attention to the house.
Lose The Clutter
This is the interior version of tidying up the yard. Potential buyers are not going to be interested in your collection of classic LPs or the portrait rugs you’ll be taking with you but are now covering every inch of wall space. House hunters are interested in the house, not what you’ve done with the place. Clear away your clutter and let the house speak to them. With a lot of open space, they’ll be imaging their own things strategically placed after they’ve moved in and you want to give their imaginations a lot to work with.
Following these simple steps will help you get the most for your home.
Author Information
Andrew Salmon is with LifeCover, a website providing life insurance information and quotes for Canadians.
Photo Credit: Svilen Milev
Adv. — Get your home ready to sell! Visit SayHomeSell.com to find additional tips on how to get your home prepared.
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