Cheapest Ways to Boost Your Home Value
Cheapest Ways to Boost Your Home Value
Date Posted: August 19, 2022
Let’s face it, we just passed a giant boom in the real estate industry. Homes are selling for almost $200,000 more than they were two years ago. After just passing a big spike in the market in March – you’re going to want to squeeze in every ounce of value when selling your home. There’s a lot you can do without having to jump into extensive renovation projects.
Deep Clean
Your home simply cannot be too clean to sell. Invest in a deep cleaning, either by using your own elbow grease or hiring a professional cleaning service. In addition to the regular cleaning chores of dusting, vacuuming, and mopping, be sure to tackle rarely cleaned areas including vents, baseboards, cabinets, blinds, and doorknobs. Steam-clean the carpets, wash the walls and windows, and replace any broken windows or screens.
Improve Your Kitchen
One of the things buyers look for above all else is a great kitchen—but remodelling your own can cost a lot. Instead of a complete overhaul, change out the little things. Ugly cabinets? Paint, new hardware, or even resurfacing costs less than a full replacement.
Paint Panache
You may love your red walls, but chances are that a prospective buyer will not. Add a fresh coat of interior paint in a neutral colour, such as white, sand, or putty. A semi-gloss paint will make the walls seem brighter; an eggshell finish can be used to hide minor imperfections, such as drywall dents or small plaster cracks.
Lighten and Brighten
Junky light switch and outlet covers can age a home, so install new ones to upgrade your space. Consider dimmer switches but first make sure that your existing electrical wiring can handle it. Be sure to turn off the main electrical power to the room before doing any work on an outlet or switch.
Pressure Wash
Power washing can transform the exterior from bland to beautiful and increase the overall curb appeal of your house. So, use a power washer on your home’s exterior siding, sidewalks, driveways, and decks. If you don’t own one, you can rent a powerful unit from a local hardware store or hire a power washing firm.
Give Appliances a Facelift
If your appliances look tired, dented, or perhaps don’t match, you can order new doors to make them look cohesive and clean again.
Check For Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are a very desirable feature—and they're often hiding right under your wall-to-wall carpeting. Pull up a small corner of the carpeting in an inconspicuous area to check the condition of the floor. If there is hardwood underneath, you can remove it and restore the original floors—much more cost-effective than replacing the carpeting or installing new floors.
Add a Closet
The price difference between a 3-bedroom and 4-bedroom home is significant. If you have an office or den, add a closet to it so it can be considered a bedroom. You’ll invest $1,500 or less, but you'll likely gain a lot more than that in your asking price.
Remove Popcorn Ceilings
Once in fashion, nothing says “mid-twentieth century” or “there’s a lot of cracks up in here” than popcorn ceilings. They are a major turn-off for a lot of buyers. They are easily removed, but it’s a messy process. Just be sure to test a sample first to ensure the material doesn't contain asbestos, which should be handled by a qualified professional contractor.