Top 6 Upgrades to Boost Your Home Value
Simple & Cost Effective Upgrades That Won't Break the Bank.
Curb Appeal
As the saying goes..."You don't get a second chance to make a first impression." The second a prospective buyer drive's up and first see's your house, you want them to immediately feel that the home is well maintained and cared for.
- Spruce up your front yard with newer flowers for some color. Cut back any shrubs or plants that may "overwhelm" your entry way.
- Buy $5 brown mulch bags from a local hardwares store and pour them around empty spaces in the yard to cover up unsightly dirt.
- Fresh cut any grass, and replace old yellow spots with newer, green sod.
- Consider changing out that old, tired looking garage door. We've been hearing radio advertisements for new garage doors under $500! Shop around and get the best style to match your home.
Light Fixtures
Change out old light fixtures & ceiling fans, to more modern and popular styles to refresh the interior of the home. Research the new trends and styles to get some ideas on what's popular. LED lights are brighter and energy efficient compared to old bulbs. Lighting will make a huge impact on your photos, and how well the home shows when prospective buyers are walking through.
- Update the old ceiling fans to a sleeker, cleaner designs utilizing the same space it was installed in before. Good looking ceiling fans can be bought for under $160!
- Change out that entry way chandelier for a cleaner, simpler design with brighter light. It's the first place people walk into!
- Still using old style plug in lamps? Depending on budget, outfit the living room with new recessed lighting.
- Already have recessed lights? You can change out the bulbs to sleeker LED bulbs for CHEAP!
- Consider updating the exterior with new sconces and spotlights for even more head-turning appeal!
Clean up the interior and give it a new fresh look with some paint. Whether you're re-painting the entire interior, or simply touching up nicks and scratches, this quick upgrade will have a great impact on your house's appearance! ***Remember to give the place a warm, inviting feeling with the colors you choose during the repaint!
- Old picture frame holes? Scratches and bumps on the walls in hallways or entries? CLEAN THEM ALL UP!
- Have a room painted a wild color that you love? Remember, not everyone has the same taste in colors. Repaint the room with a neutral/soft gray or taupe.
- Popcorn ceiling in some of the home? Get this cleaned up quickly and easily by a professional and dramatically upgrade the interior with a smooth textured ceiling.
Paint & Touch Up
Flooring
If your home has wood floors, you may be able to refinish or polish them to bring out some shine! Got carpet in some of the rooms? Consider replacing the carpet, or at the minimum getting it professionally cleaned.
- The advantage to having wood floors is the ability to refinish them back to its glory days, or even change the color entirely! The right professional can sand down the floors, re-coat them and seal for a perfect finish.
- If you have carpet in some of the bedrooms, consider replacing them with high quality laminate that can look great and be really inexpensive to install from the right vendor!
- Bathrooms are generally small, so replacing that old vinyl floor with some simple tile should be a breeze. Buy the flooring and have a pro install it over a weekend. This combined with the lighting fixture change above can make even the oldest bathrooms look stylish again!
Drapes & Window Coverings
One of the most over-looked and easy changes are your window drapes and coverings. Opening up the view around your windows helps the house look and feel brighter, which in turn can make a home appear larger and more inviting!
- Do you have older, bulky and dark colored drapes? TOSS THEM OUT! You can pick up simple, thin and white drapes online for under $100. The drapes should look good, but almost go unnoticed.
- Upgrade big, dark and heavy blinds in your bedrooms to thinner and more transparent blinds. You can even leave some windows uncovered!
- Replace cheap & flimsy blinds that may be broken or yellowing with newer ones. Very simple to do, and if you're a DIY-er, you can tackle the project in just a couple hours.
Kitchen Upgrades
Last but certainly not least, is the kitchen. I know...I know...you're thinking that's going to be expensive! But consider that the Kitchen is one of the biggest selling points of any home. You don't have to spend thousands to accomplish this, just read below.
- Clean, Clean, Clean. I can't stress how big of a difference a deep cleaning can make on a kitchen. Get rid of years of old grime, and dirt in between grouts and corners with a simple tooth-brush and heavy duty cleaning solution.
- Replace the tired looking kitchen faucet with a shiny and attractive new one. I've seen these replaced on older looking sinks and they still make a great addition. Great bang for the buck!
- Remove older style cabinet hardware, and replace the handles with newer designs from a local hardware store.
- If your budget allows, consider re-facing the cabinets for a newer look...you can even keep the older counter-tops (depending on condition)