Renovations that pay their own way when home is for sale Bizpals

Category Real Estate Agents

Renovations That Pay Their Own Way When a Home Is For Sale

When homeowners decide to sell, one of the trickiest decisions to make is how much to spend on renovations before they put the house on the market. Even if the budget for home improvement isn't large, there are several low-cost upgrades that can be made which can help attract prospective buyers once the house is listed.

A Pre-Listing Home Inspection

Before your clients make a decision about what to renovate, they may want to think about having a home inspection done, especially if their house is an older one. The price of a home inspection will vary depending on where you live; according to HomeAdvisor, the cost of a Bay Area home inspection is on average $350-$400. Having such a report completed before listing the house could identify necessary repairs that would be advisable for your clients to make in advance. So that the process goes smoothly, advise your clients to prepare for the home inspection by making sure that the inspector has easy access to all areas of the house, including the garage, basement, attic, crawl spaces, closets, electric service panels, HVAC unit, furnace and water heater.
If the repairs aren't made before listing, they may become an issue later on when a buyer's own home inspection report discovers them. The pre-listing home inspection will give your clients useful perspective as well as help avoid unwanted surprises when it’s time to make a deal. Once they know what repairs need to be made, they can estimate how much money can be spent on discretionary renovations.

Budget Kitchen Makeovers

An attractive, functional kitchen is something that buyers appreciate when they're viewing homes. A dilapidated kitchen with scratched countertops and cracked linoleum certainly won’t entice prospective buyers and may even scare them away. But a complete renovation could be expensive and time-consuming—you don't want to have to postpone listing the house because the contractors are still working. So unless the kitchen looks like something only the Addams Family could love, a small-scale upgrade can be an effective strategy. If replacing the flooring isn't in the budget, advise putting down matching rugs that will give the room a coordinated appearance. Installing stylish new faucets, putting in new countertops, and adding a fresh coat of paint to kitchen cabinets and walls will give the room a sparkling new look that won't take too much time or money to accomplish.

The Power of a Paint Job

In addition to the kitchen, painting interior walls everywhere in the house is a fairly inexpensive project that can pay big dividends when it comes to selling. A new coat of paint will make the home look fresh and well cared-for. This is especially true if your paint job has become dingy over time or if the paint is a vivid color that might not be appealing to potential buyers. Your clients may love their tomato-red hallway and Kelly-green living room, but usually professional home stagers recommend neutral shades like sand or earth tones for a more universal appeal. Neutral, soothing colors can help home buyers visualize themselves and their belongings moving in to the house. Choose latex paints for the house interior since they are easier to work with than oil-based paints, they don't smell as strong, and they dry quickly.

Put the Front Door Front and Center

While the paint cans are out, don't forget the front door. Everyone who views your clients' house will step through that door so be sure it makes a great first impression. Before painting, any cracks in the door should be repaired with wood filler. The hinges and weather stripping should be inspected to see if they are in good condition. In addition to painting the front door, suggest replacing the door hardware if it is more than a couple of years old—another low-cost fix that will spruce up the appearance of the entry. A new welcome mat and flowering plants in containers flanking the door will enhance the inviting look that you want to create. Also, make sure that the porch lights are in good repair, and have them replaced with new fixtures if needed.

Let the Light In

Once they step through the door, buyers will appreciate the home you're listing much more if they can see it properly. Updating light fixtures is a quick renovation that can be well worth the cost. Stylish, contemporary lighting can help modernize and update the overall feel of any home. Any broken or outdated light fixtures should be replaced, and installing new switch-plates throughout the home is a nice touch too. Consider adding extra lighting where needed, so that all levels of the various rooms are illuminated--supplement ceiling lights with floor or table lamps. The front hallway is what viewers will see first, so make sure it's attractively lit, perhaps with pretty buffet lamps or an eye-catching chandelier. Additional accent lighting can be installed where needed to highlight special features of the home such as a new kitchen island or a fireplace mantle.
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