When selling your house, it’s only natural to wonder about renovations. Are there any remodeling projects that could help you sell your home faster, and for more money?
The short answer? It just depends. Sometimes, home renovations can make a real, bottom-line difference. And sometimes, they’re not necessary at all.
To help homesellers navigate through these complex issues, we’ve been blogging our way through a series called, quite simply, Renovations That Add Value. In the first installment, we focused on the kitchen. In blog #2, we looked at bathrooms.
Today, we’re going to talk about…well, pretty much everything else.
Before we get to that, though, just a reminder: To get personalized tips for selling your house, don’t forget to request your homeseller’s report from SOLD.com, available free of charge! Get yours today.
Home Renovations That Help You Get the Place Sold
We’ve already blogged about minor kitchen renovations and minor bathroom renovations, but what other projects should you consider? Here are just a few renovations that can really add value when it comes time for selling your house.
Exterior Curb Appeal
- Add a new exterior light fixture, a small expense that can really change the look of your home.
- Replace your front door; this is particularly advantageous if your current door doesn’t let in much natural light. Get a new door that does!
- Clean and repair your gutters.
- Invest in some proper manicuring for your front lawn area; you want it to look vibrant and colorful without being busy or crowded.
Small Projects Throughout the House
- Repaint any areas of the home where the current paint is cracked or peeling, or where the color isn’t neutral; you’re always going to want to pick something off-white or fairly light. Dark or garish colors should always be avoided.
- Repaint the ceilings. You might be surprised how much time buyers spend looking at the ceilings of your home! Give them something clean and fresh to look at.
- Place caulk or weather-stripping to cover cracks around windows and doors.
- Head down to the basement and make sure there aren’t any leaks or moisture issues; if you see any, make sure you get those cleared up ASAP.
Bedroom Projects
Generally speaking, the bedroom doesn’t offer as much opportunity as the kitchen and the bathrooms do. With that said, there are some small things you can do to make your bedroom more appealing to potential buyers.
- Make sure there’s ample lighting; that might mean replacing old fixtures or even bringing in some new lighting to help illuminate the space.
- See our comments above about painting; you may like the darker shades of your bedroom walls, but you’ll have an easier time selling if you paint them in a lighter, more neutral shade.
- If you have old, stained, or dingy carpet in your bedroom, consider having it replaced; because most bedrooms are small spaces, this is usually a manageable expense.
Outdoor Living Space
Don’t forget your outdoor living space, too. Our advice:
- You’ll have an easier time getting your place sold if you get rid of any old, dilapidated storage buildings. A shed or mini-barn is fine, unless it looks like it could collapse at any moment…in which case, you may just want to have it hauled off.
- Make sure your outdoor living area is a clearly defined space. Design it just as you would an interior room; make sure there’s seating space, a logical flow for traffic, etc.
Renovations That DON’T Add Value
Finally, note that there are some home renovation projects that simply eat into your resources and don’t add value…in fact, they can actually make it more difficult for you to sell your home.
- Swimming pool. If you don’t have one, don’t add one!
- Home office space—not necessary!
- Any big-ticket, expensive luxury items, like Jacuzzis or heated floors in the bathroom. These things don’t necessarily hurt, but you’re simply not going to recoup the money you invest in them.
Get Personalized Tips for Selling Your House
Our bottom line? Renovations can pay off, but you’ve got to be smart about them.
One way you can always be smart about listing and selling your home is to use the FREE guidance in your SOLD.com seller’s report. Make sure you claim yours today.
