9 Simple Things You Can Do To Increase Your Home’s Value

When it’s time to sell your home, you want to do everything you can to sell it at the highest price possible. While you can undergo a complete home renovation to increase the value of your home, the value of your home also depends on other homes in the area. If your home is listed much more than the other homes in the neighborhood because of a massive renovation, then you may not be able to sell it at a price that gives you a return on your investment. 

Luckily, you never have to undergo a full-scale renovation just to increase your home’s value. Instead, you can easily and affordably spruce up your home. Here are simple things you can do right now to increase your home’s value.

1. Declutter

A home that’s cluttered will likely sell for less than the same home that isn’t cluttered. This is because clutter can make your home appear smaller. Any house, no matter how large, will feel smaller to a buyer if there is too much clutter. The good news is cleaning is completely free and only takes your time. 

Before you list your house, make sure to do a deep clean and keep it clean for all of your scheduled house tours. Keeping your home free of clutter will allow buyers to envision themselves living in the home. 

To start decluttering right now, clear off your bookshelves, tables, and counters. Next, tackle the floors. The goal is to make your home seem like a blank canvas for all types of buyers. 

You can make your home look more like a blank canvas by having professional movers take your extra furniture and clutter to a storage facility while your home is on the market. 

2. Remove Family Photos

During part of the decluttering process, remove all family photos from your home. Buyers want to envision the future of the home rather than its past. By removing all family photos, you can allow buyers of all types to be able to see themselves living in the home without being reminded of your family living in the home. 

3. Don’t Skip the Kitchen Remodel

Renovating your kitchen is a great way to increase your home’s value and should never be missed. It is one of the biggest factors that can increase your home’s value. Maybe if you don’t want to redo the entire kitchen, you can switch out your cabinets and appliances to make the room feel brand new. A dated appearance and old appliances will make buyers feel like they’ll need to spend thousands of dollars fixing up the kitchen when it only takes a few simple steps. But renovating and updating the entire kitchen will be well worth the investment. 

4. Upgrade Light Fixtures

Upgrading your home’s lighting will help you highlight its best features. By putting in brighter, lighter bulbs, your home will appear more modern. 

5. Paint

Paint makes any house look brand new, even if your house is old. When buyers see paint chipping and cracks, it can make them look for other imperfections in the home. If you’re selling a home, there’s no reason not to splash on a fresh coat of paint to get rid of any small cracks, holes, or dirt. 

Similarly, the colors you originally painted on your walls may no longer be in style. Yellow, for example, will make your home look outdated, whereas whites and grays are preferred among modern homebuyers. 

6. Fix Up Your Floors

If you have hardwood floors that have seen better days, try sanding, staining, and buffing them to make them look brand new. One feature many homebuyers are currently looking for is hardwood floors, which never go out of style. 

If you have carpet, use a carpet cleaning machine around the entire house so you can get deep stains out. If you can’t get your stains out, consider contacting a professional cleaning service that can make your carpet look brand new. 

Depending on how old your carpet is, you might have to replace it with something fresh. New carpet can also make sure your home doesn’t have any lingering pet stains and odors.

7. Consider Curb Appeal

Your home’s exterior is the first thing any prospective buyer will see, so there’s no reason not to spend some time and money outside the home. To make your home look nicer from the curb, powerwash your porch or deck. You can also add bushes and flowers around the property. Make sure you also take care of your lawn. If your grass has seen greener days, hire a company to help you spruce it up.

8. Make it Energy-efficient

Homebuyers today are more environmentally conscious and always looking for new ways to save money on their bills. All of your appliances can be upgraded to an energy-efficient option. 

9. Increase Square Footage

You don’t have to add a room to your house to increase your square footage. If you have an unfinished basement or any other unfinished room, you can finish the space as affordably as possible to increase your square footage.

For example, if you have an unfinished basement, you can add home office desks and other office furniture to create a home office for prospective buyers who work from home. 

Increasing Your Home’s Value

While you can always do renovations to important rooms in your home, you don’t always have to. As long as the rooms in your home are in good condition, there’s no need to spend the extra money or time on construction. Instead, find simple ways that make your home look like a blank canvas to home buyers so they can picture themselves in the house. If you can make your home feel like it’s already the buyer’s home, you’re sure to increase its value. 

About The Author: Matt Casadona has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Psychology. Matt is passionate about marketing and business strategy and enjoys San Diego life, traveling, and music. 

 Image by 德钦 赵 from Pixabay