Is selling your home stressful? It doesn’t have to be.
Most of the stress of selling a house stems from money. But when you know your home’s value, you get to have the power in the sale.
Before you put your home on the market, know what home improvement ideas are worth your time, and provide a good return. There are improvement projects that have a higher ROI than others. Don’t make the mistake of investing in the wrong things and losing money on your home.
Home Improvement List to Raise Your Home’s Value
Let’s explore the top five ways your home can increase in value. You can estimate your home’s value by doing research and finding listings of similar-style homes.
1. A Little Cleaning Goes a Long Way
Before you invest money in upgrading your home, first do some deep cleaning. Cleaning is an inexpensive and simple way to make your home look brand new without spending money on updating it.
Deep cleaning your entire home may sound daunting. To make it more manageable, take on one room at a time. Start with your bedroom and work your way down to the basement. Focus on one area of your house a day to avoid burnout.
Cleaning leads to finding cracks and damages before a potential buyer does. Clean can also help you declutter and inspire decorative ways to make your house more appealing.
If you’re in a rush, consider hiring a cleaning crew. You may need to hire them for two days to clean your entire house, but the final result is worth it.
2. Boost Your Curb Appeal
Next, focus on boosting your curb appeal.
Why? The exterior of your home is the first thing a potential buyer sees. First impressions are crucial in real estate. For example, washing your house’s exterior can add $10,000 to $15,000 to its sale price.
Simple ways to boost your curb appeal include:
- Powerwashing your home’s exterior, driveway, or sidewalk
- Sweeping entry areas and getting rid of cobwebs
- Adding potted plants, shrubs, and flowers
- Mowing your lawn
- Pulling weeds
- Removing outdoor clutter
- Replacing or adding light fixtures
If you have close neighbors, ask them to help you improve the neighborhood’s curb appeal. Buyers aren’t just looking at your home. A new family wants to know they are moving into a clean and well-kept neighborhood.
3. Focus on Your Kitchen
If you’re going to make improvements, focus on your kitchen. A kitchen upgrade offers a 92.9% ROI. It’s an area buyers can tell if money has been well spent or not. For many potential homebuyers, an updated kitchen is a must.
There are simple and affordable ways to boost your kitchen’s appeal.
Add storage with simple shelving units. Floating shelves over sinks can be used for stacking dishes or displaying plants.
Replace your countertops or sink. If you have space, consider adding a kitchen island for extra counter space.
Add more lighting to your kitchen. Pendant lights look great over a kitchen table and can tie the room together.
If you’ve neglected your kitchen while living in your home, it might be wise to invest in a whole kitchen remodel. Investing in your kitchen raises your home’s value and helps you sell quicker.
4. Touch up the Paint
Repainting your home’s interior provides homeowners with a 107% ROI. Painting is an inexpensive way to make your home look more modern, fresh, and valuable.
When repainting, pick something that matches your home’s atmosphere and vibe. Beiges, tans, and grays are ideal. “Greige” is a popular wall color that blends gray and beige. Try to avoid white and black.
Your home has a better chance of being sold if you coat it with warm and neutral colors. These styles are more likely to match the new furniture a homebuyer might be bringing with them into the home.
5. Optimize Energy
The more energy-efficient your home is, the better the appeal it will have. Energy-efficient homes are not only better for the environment, but save homeowners hundreds of dollars a year.
If you want to boost your home’s value, start with your windows. Energy-efficient windows stop sunlight from entering your home in the summer, which keeps AC costs down. The windows trap heat to prevent high heating costs in the winter.
Energy-efficient windows have a Low-E glass that blocks up to 90% of the sun’s rays. The windows include a polymer foam to lower the U value. The lower your U value, the more efficient the window is at stopping the heat. Some windows are equipped with triple-pane glass to increase UV rays blocking.
If you have old and worn down household appliances, consider investing in energy-efficient replacements to add an extra appeal to your home. ENERGY STAR-rated appliances are approved as better for the environment and household energy costs.
Examples of ENERGY STAR household appliances include:
- Washer and dryers (reduce energy usage by 40% to 50%)
- Refrigerators (use 40% less energy)
- Dishwashers (save homeowners $25 a year)
When buyers come to view your home, energy-efficient equipment can justify a higher buying price. Many buyers will be on board with paying a higher up-front cost as long as it means lower energy and utility expenses in their new home.
What Won’t Boost Your Home’s Value
There are efficient ways to make improvements and raise your home’s values, and there are things that waste time and money.
Don’t go overboard on your exterior. Adding a pool can be a turnoff for families who don’t want the added responsibility a pool creates. Waterfalls and ponds are nice features, but there is no statistical evidence that these elements provide a worthwhile ROI.
Adding new additions to your home is a good idea if that’s what you need. But don’t add onto your home for the sake of upping its value. Making your home bigger will not significantly add to its resale value. Some additions make your home look too big for the neighborhood, which hurts your resale value.
Keep functionality in mind. Don’t invest in upgrades that are difficult to manage or maintain, like specialized audio systems or equipment. Most buyers prefer a simple home opposed to one full of advanced gadgets.
Discover More Home Improvement Ideas
Do you feel prepared to tackle new home improvement ideas that will pay off? From repainting to creating a more energy-friendly house, you don’t have to spend thousands to boost your home’s value.
For more home hacks, check out our blog. We’ve got up-to-date articles on everything homeowners need to know.
