5 Inexpensive Home Upgrades Before Selling
Inexpensive home upgrades can add value to your home in the eyes of a buyer. Isn’t that what we want? You bet!
Most sellers get hung up on doing NO upgrades before they sell. However, just a few can make a big difference.
The key in selling most real estate if for the condition of your home to match the asking price. When there is a gap, buyers and their agent know it and it could result in low-ball offers or no offers at all!
Let’s take a look at some inexpensive home upgrades you can do to increase the perceived value.
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#1 – Painting
Yeah, you will hear this from most all REALTORs and it’s so true!
Painting freshens up a home and is very affordable! Consider toning down some of your personal decorating paint choices for more neutral colors that will appeal to a large pool of the buyers out there.
Let your room accessories be the color pop when you are selling! Things like pillows, rugs, comforters, artwork, etc… that can be switched out make it easier for a buyer to imagine themselves and their things in the rooms.
No one wants to buy a home and then have to repaint every room. It’s work! If that’s what a buyer thinks, you can bet they will take off money for the inconvenience and time if they do it themselves.
While at it, hit the front door with a new coat of paint as well! Make it a striking color in contrast to the rest of the home. It will stand out and grab potential buyers attention. Add a couple of potted plants and you’ve just upped the curb appeal for not much cost!
#2 – Mailbox & House Numbers
According to Barbara Corcoran, buyers decide in the first eight seconds of seeing a home if they’re interested in buying it.
That means the curb appeal better but up to snuff!
Most seller’s know to make sure flower beds are cleaned up and mulched, but what about your mailbox? Has it seen better days? Do you have house numbers and if you do, could they use an update?
Even homes in rural areas have house numbers, nowadays. Make them attractive and, bonus: – hope you never need it but first responders appreciate this, as well!
These are two simple and inexpensive upgrades that affect those first 8 seconds when a home buyer pulls in the driveway. Don’t miss out on making a great first impression!
#3 – Upgrade Lighting
Old light fixtures definitely make a home seem dated and in need of an upgrade.
Replacing an outdated fixture with a new ceiling light in bedrooms is an easy and affordable way to update . I bought this new lighting fixture for the hallway and bathrooms ceiling lights for under $30 each online and they were a snap to install. The impact of changing out those dated lights are worth that amount, for sure. The lights were a great style and at a lot less than the local big box stores.
Dining Room, living or family room, bathroom and kitchen lighting is typically more but beautiful fixtures are still available on a budget. Watch sale ads and check out the websites for specials.
Don’t forget bathroom vanity lighting. There’s a wide variety of vanity lighting styles that will allow you to change out the 1980’s big bulb fixtures for an instance update that looks fabulous at a good price!
Low Profile LED can lights are also great to add to a kitchen and bath for extra light near sinks and over work areas. They are super affordable but may require an electrician if you don’t have experience with installing. That, of course, will increase your investment but can lighting is definitely desirable to buyers!
#4 – Faucets in Bath and Kitchen
Replacing tired, worn out, drippy faucets with new ones can give your bathroom and kitchen sinks a whole new look. Faucets are like the jewelry for sinks. You don’t have to go crazy and spend hundreds of dollars, though.
Again, watch for sales online or sign-up for home improvement stores’ sale ads to be delivered directly to your email!
For kitchens, tall faucets are great. They make it much easier to fill large pots or even buckets. Attached sprayers also help with clean-ups and are very trendy. Check the holes in your sink to be sure you by a type that will work. You can plug a hole for a sprayer if you end up buying one that’s part of the faucet but matching the plumbing requirements is most important. I recently bought this one for a lot better price than the big box stores!
In the bathroom, consider matching the towel bar and toilet paper holder’s metal color for a new faucet. Remember to check how your plumbing is set up before purchasing. Some vanities have holes for 2 handles and a faucet. Others are set for the all in one handle.
New bathroom faucets start at $20 and go up. Find one in your price range and have at it for a clean, fresh look!
#5 – Caulking… Yes, Caulking
One of the items that makes a home look old, dated and worn is cracked and/or discolored caulking. It can really look gross no matter how much you clean it! We see this come up a lot on inspection reports…
One purpose of caulking is to seal a home from weather conditions. Around windows and doors, caulking helps with sealing drafts and keeping precious heat/ac indoors.
Another reason we use caulk is as a seal in wet areas (think kitchens and bathrooms) to make sure water doesn’t go where it’s not supposed to!
Thankfully, caulking is very affordable! Just be sure to purchase the right caulking for the job.
Use an outdoor caulk for windows and doors outside and an indoor caulk for windows and doors inside the house.
For water areas like sinks, tubs/showers and toilets, a Kitchen and Bath caulk sealant is perfect.
This job can be done quickly and inexpensively but the results are fabulous! A buyer loves to see a home with routine maintenance having been done. They feel good about making an offer!
BONUS Inexpensive Home Upgrades
Here’s an article are a few more items to check out around your home before putting it on the market.
Review of Inexpensive Home Upgrades
These are a lot of the items that show up on a buyer’s inspection report anyway, so being pro-active and using the repairs to upgrade the feel and the look of your home can definitely put money in your pocket!
Psst… click the link to take a peak at some simple decorating ideas you can do as well!
Forget the entire kitchen or bathroom renovations. Make an investment that will pay-off to home buyers with some of these quick, easy and inexpensive home upgrades.
I’ll be happy to come take a walk through your home and give you some ideas. Let’s talk!
