subject: Home Improvements For Marketing Your House [print this page] Realtors will tell you it's a bad idea to spend any money on your home before putting it out on the market, especially on a down economy. By keeping the asking price low and showing the house warts and all, it will be likely to attract more buyers who think they're getting a bargain.
But there are some relatively easy home improvement projects that can make your property more attractive without adding so much onto the asking price, you end up losing money on the sale.
Buyers don't want to spend money on fixing things like appliances, plumbing, electrical, or heating and cooling. Make sure these things are working before your first open house.
Move to the floors next. If you have real hardwood, you're ahead of the game, because it's very popular with buyers. If they are in really rough shape, trust the repairs and refinishing of your floors to professionals. However, go ahead and rent a sander and polisher and do the job yourself if you think you are qualified to do so.
If your rugs don't appear move-in new, it's relatively inexpensive to replace them. Neutral tones, such as tans, are a safe bet to match the buyers' decorations. Since many people don't favor carpeting because of kids, pets, or allergies, consider tearing it up in favor of a bright laminate wood floor. A step-by-step video guide to installing this cheaper alternative by yourself is provided by most companies for common areas such as the living rooms.
Go through the bathroom and kitchen and replace chipped or cracked tiles. Replacing the grout will give those floors a fresh look.
It is very important to put a fresh coat of paint on the walls and especially the ceiling. Buyers are often wary of cracks on the ceiling as they usually mean that there might be a leak somewhere or that the house is unstable. Apply fiberglass tape on the crack, cover with joint compound, and sand it before painting.
A health hazard than can immediately stop a sale is asbestos, therefore make sure to check the ceilings of older homes. Lay down drop clothes and scrape the ceilings thoroughly before repainting.
Rent a steamer, strip off those wallpapers, smooth any wall cracks and paint those walls with fresh new paint in lieu of those old wallpaper. Its unlikely buyers will share your taste in wallpaper. Real wood paneling can sometimes attract buyers, it would be good if you had it. Composite paneling went out of style with drive-in movies, but can blend in well if you paint it after priming. Providing almost a 100% return, are improvements done to your kitchen, so money is worth spending if it's dedicated for that area. By all means go ahead and replace those old appliances but it's not necessary to replace them with those high-end variety. Just be clean and functional.
There are a couple of methods to make kitchen cabinets more attractive aside from a total replacement if they already look worn and faded. Attach a thin veneer covering to the cabinets' surfaces, and install new doors and hardware. If the cabinets are wood, a coat of paint or varnish and new hardware will do the trick.
Although granite countertops are popular nowadays, a new laminate top will do the trick without breaking the bank. A sparkling sink and faucet which shows no signs of leaking or stains is ideal. For a showroom shine, you can purchase special polishes currently available in the market. Aside from installing new lighting and fixtures in your bathroom, it should also have that fresh scent.
Although it's an easy job, you will need a steady hand and some patience in order to weatherize all windows and doors with an application of fresh caulking.
On top of the list when checking the exterior of the house should be the roof. To improve your chances of making a sale, eliminate any worries about leaks by having a water shield installed under new shingles, especially if your roof is more than 10 years old. Take a weekend to clean all the gutters and replace any missing or broken downspouts.
Don't let the buyers have second thoughts about maintenance by cementing all the visible cracks on sidewalks and driveways. Remember that unless your house is being marketed as a fixer-upper, buyers are already making a big investment and don't want spend a lot more on basic maintenance. They just want to relax in the comforts of their new home.
