According to the housing market reports 2018 is predicted to be a seller’s market – which means there are fewer homes on the market than there are buyers. That’s great news if you plan to sell your home soon! And with spring time traditionally being the most active real estate buying market, now is the time to get it ready to put on the market. Here are a few ways to get your house into tip top shape and increase your home’s value.
Exterior Hacks
$$ Update and Clean Up Your Landscaping – all you need is a little muscle and determination to clean up your landscaping. Trim overgrown bushes and remove weeds. If your scrubs are overgrown dig them up and replace them with new ones. Add new mulch and in one weekend you can freshen up the look of your house and property.
$$ Professionally Pressure Washing Your House, Driveway, Deck or Patio – the reason I recommend “professionally” vs. “do it yourself” is that a reputable pressure washing company will know the right amount of water pressure and detergent to use to avoid damaging your property and ensuring good results. Even if you washed your house before, you will be surprised what a professional power wash can remove – like those ugly black streaks on your gutters and roof or oil stains in your driveway.
$ Paint your Front Door and Shutters – I don’t think this one needs an explanation!
$$ Stain your Deck and Fence – the best time to do this is right after you’ve had the deck and fence pressure washed because you need to start with a clean and dry surface. This is a very time consuming job, but definitely one you can do yourself if you choose. If you’re a little intimated with staining, check with your pressure washing company to see if they offer wood staining services. Sometimes you can save money when doing both services at the same time.
$ – $$$ Get your Lawn into Shape – unfortunately this is an ongoing process and the cost really depends on how much time you have to devote to lawn maintenance. Some people love working on their lawn – cutting, weeding, fertilizing, cutting, weeding, fertilizing….. well you get the picture. Obviously it’s less costly to do it yourself, but if you’re like me, I prefer to hire landscaper. You might be surprised at the cost – most landscapers will offer a discount if you sign an annual contract. If you’re on the fence about lawn care, reach out to a few local landscaping companies for an estimate.
Interior Hacks
$ Declutter Your Home – If you don’t do anything else on this list please make sure you do this task. It’s a proven fact that potential home buyers will dismiss a home immediately if it is cluttered and has a lot of personal items like family pictures displayed. The reason being is that the potential buyer will not be able to visualize themselves in the home because they can’t see past the clutter.
$$ – $$$ Paint the Interior of Your House – much like staining your deck, if you’re willing to spend the time to tape off the woodwork, prime the walls and are confident you can cut in a straight line, then doing it yourself can save you a lot of money. But if that isn’t your cup of tea please call a professional. A bad paint job and really hurt your property value.
$$ – $$$$ Update Your Kitchen – depending on the last time your kitchen was update, this task could range from a few hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars. I am going to focus on items that you can do for under $1,000:
- Update your counter tops – although granite is beautiful it can be expensive. They now make l laminates that look like granite for a third of the cost. If you don’t like the look of stone, pick a neutral color and texture – stay away from patterns.
- Put in a new floor – check out our local home improvement store, they now offer really nice laminate and stone products under $3.00 per sq. foot. When picking out flooring, keep it neutral. If you don’t know what to pick, ask the flooring specialist. They will help you match the flooring to your cabinets and woodwork.
- Install a new sink and faucet – this is a quick update that should cost you under $300 if you can do it yourself.
$ – $$$ Update Your Bathroom – much like your kitchen, you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to update your bathroom. Here are a few ideas for a quick update:
- Put up a new shower curtain and rod – try adding a new curved shower curtain rod. They open up the shower space by adding more room in the tub area.
- Replace the faucet fixture – this will instantly update your sink/vanity area for under $100.
- Put down new bathroom rugs – add a pop of color or stay in the neutral palette. This little change can help draw your eye away from the floor by covering most of the useable space up.
$$ Update your lighting fixtures – old lighting fixtures will date a house quickly. Replace your old fixtures with ceiling fans or new, modern light fixtures.
If you selling your house remember there is a lot of competition in your neighborhood, so any improvements you make will give you the upper edge. 90% of all home shoppers use the internet to look at homes, make sure your listing best represents your homes features and benefits – buyers aren’t looking to purchase your furniture!
Your Sparkle Wash team wishes you the best of luck in your venture, if we can help improve your homes exterior please give us a call.
Recent Comments