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Increase House Value
 

Increasing Your Home's Value

You've finished your research, chosen the perfect neighborhood, and selected the home of your dreams, but you still have one thing to do before you move out: sell your current house. Some houses stay on the market longer than others, but there are general strategies for improvements that can be employed to speed up the process of selling your home while preserving or even increasing it's value.


Guidelines for selling your home

Cleaner is always better! This is the most important thing to keep in mind when selling your home. Make sure that every inch of your home is clean, including the interior, exterior, landscaping, roofing, rooms, carpet, and windows. The cleaner your house is, the more appealing it will be to any potential buyer, and the more appealing it is to a potential buyer, the more likely they will buy it. Here are some additional guidelines to consider:

Remodeling: Although not always necessary, remodeling can increase your chances of selling your home quickly. The result depends on your local market, but keep in mind that a full blown remodel rarely gives you back one hundred percent of the money you put in. However, "eSSORTMENT" has reported that some of the largest investments to return percentiles are for: kitchen remodeling (95%), roof replacement (88%), and landscaping (85%). Notice that not one of these improvements returns one hundred percent of the money put in. So consider your options before your remodel because remodeling may speed up your home's sale and provide numerous benefits. As long as you can justify the remodel in terms of practicability and return, then renovate away.

It pays not to stand out: In your neighborhood at least. Loading your house with so many improvements that it costs considerably more than your neighbors will be a turn off to potential home buyers. Justifying why your house is more expensive than the homes right next door, even if deserved, is a losing proposition.

Aesthetics: Curb appeal is your home's appearance from the street, and it can be the single most important factor in selling your home. Whether dealing with the inside or outside of your house, the first impression made on a potential home buyer can determine if your house sells now or later.


Exterior

The exterior of your home is the first view a potential buyer has of your home. This first impression is something you should take full advantage of. It's hard to say exactly how much value a good exterior has in a home, but a potential buyer will expect and appreciate a good looking house. Potential buyers do not want to move in and still have to pressure wash the driveway, paint the siding, trim the bushes, and tame the lawn. Moving is supposed to be a pleasant experience at the end, not the beginning of a long, hard job. Make their job easier, do it for them.

Landscaping: An unkempt front yard, a slightly haggard front door, or a dirty driveway with weeds cropping up will leave a longer lasting impression than the cleanest of kitchens or most high-tech of bathrooms ever will. Cut your lawn to golf course like precision, prune the trees and bushes so they are all similar, take the old can or toy bat out of the yard. It will help your home to sell quicker with a well groomed and appealing yard.

Roofing: Every buyer assumes that a roof does what it needs to do - keep the elements out and protect the house. So when a house's roof has shingles sticking up, and pine needles and leaves overflowing out of the gutters, it doesn't appeal to potential buyers. Shape up your roof by replacing shingles, and performing other maintenance before selling your home.

Siding/Brick: Aside from the lawn, this may be the single largest part of the house a potential buyer sees before coming inside. A clean brick or freshly painted facade can look very impressive, no matter how old your house is.


Interior

All said and done, people and families live inside, not outside the house. Potential buyers look for working appliances, clean surfaces, and a friendly, welcoming feel to a home. Even if your house isn't to size or there are one or two rooms that could be sized a bit better, making your home a warm, friendly place can compensate. Reduce clutter too. Doing so will free up your rooms and make them seem larger and more spacious than before. Be sure to paint your walls with aesthetically pleasing colors to warm your house up. In many cases, strong colors can limit the appeal of your house, so they should be avoided if possible. Below the easy interior guidelines is a room by room checklist to ensure your home is ready to sell quickly and at the price you want.

Easy Things: Elbow grease. Sure Dad suggested it as the end all to fix things, but a little bit of hard work can really show in how much and how quickly your home sells for. A lot of cleaning can be self-done, saving money otherwise spent on professional cleaners. Some maintenance too can be done on your own. Feed your inner handyman: get cleaning, get fixing.

Interior Cleaning Checklist:

  • Carpet and Flooring
  • Clean and De-Clutter
  • Exterior Painting
  • Interior Painting
  • Kitchen and Bathrooms
  • Lighting
  • Plumbing and Electrical
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