When you’re in a position where you either want or need to sell your home, you always need to head round the house and look for issues first.
You don’t want the house hitting the market while a window doesn’t latch properly, the kitchen sink gets easily clogged, or there are signs of mold in the bathroom. Therefore, you need to put a few hours into repairing these small yet impactful problems. Do this before a buyer comes round to take a look.
Why? Because no one wants to buy a house that’ll be awkward to live in. Unless you’re specifically selling off your home to a property developer, you’re not going to attract anyone willing to put up the money for your sale price. This applies to developers who have the time and funds to fix it up.
But we also want to say that these small repairs aren’t the only jobs you should attend to right now. If you really want to squeeze as much value out of your home as possible, you’ll also need to improve the space as well.
However, you don’t have to worry – we’re not saying you need to sink tens of thousands into a pre-sale renovation. In fact, we’re saying just the opposite.
You only need to work on subtle improvements here, the kind that won’t cost you more than $250 or take more than a weekend to get done. Also, if you get these kinds of jobs done, you could even net another $10,000+ out of the sale.
So with that in mind, here are the kind of small property improvements that could end up adding thousands to your final sale price.
Paint Over Bright, Bold Colors
Bright and bold colors look fantastic in a home. And while you’re living there, that’s all that matters. But once you get the idea to sell, you’re going to need to paint over these harsher tones.
After all, they look good to you, but if you want to sell your property, you need to think about what other people want to see.
Calmer, more neutral tones can help to highlight the potential of the property. This is both in terms of letting the room fittings and appliances catch the eye. Also, it allows someone to imagine themself in the property.
Anything brighter can make it harder for a buyer to see how they could put their own stamp on the place. This is because yours is already there.
In the end, this could boost the value of your home by at least $1,000. But, as it’s hard to put a price on dreams, the actual addition could be so much more.
Install a Kitchen Island
Kitchen islands will always be a chic kitchen upgrade. They provide more counter space to work on, and regulate the flow of traffic around the kitchen. They’re also a pretty cheap way to net some expansive cupboard storage as well.
So, if you don’t have one in the property already, we highly recommend getting one worked into the space.
It doesn’t need to be a large counter area either, and it’s up to you whether or not you move the sink. Simply just having a kitchen island can net you another $2k to $5k value.
Plus, they’re very easy to actually install. Even DIY, if you’re kitted out with power tools like a cordless drill, you’ll have the cupboard all put together in no time. Then it’s just a matter of fixing it in place.
Replace Dull Light Fixtures
If they’re discolored, worn out, and you know for a fact that at least a couple of bulbs flicker every so often, the light fixtures are going to need replacing. When they’ve been made dull like this, you don’t want them bringing the rest of the property down.
Instead, replace them with new fixtures that let the light breathe out. And be sure to think about shape and design here, as well as the clarity of the material used in the future.
You want something that complements the space by adding to the established decor. For example, if your property has a bit of an art deco vibe, a more geometric shaped lighting style is best.
With the right lighting and the right light fixtures, you could get another $1500 out of the overall sale.
Re-Tile!
When was the last time you checked on the tiles in your property? Make sure you go over both the kitchen and bathroom with a fine tooth comb here. Look for cracks, chips, and any dirt that seems to have become part of the decor here.
And if the tiles look OK, check on the quality of the grouting holding the tiles in place. If it’s also gotten discolored, you’ll want to scrape that out and re-caulk it.
A quick re-tile job, or even just a quick re-grouting, could add up to $2000 in value.
Neaten Up the Edges
And finally, make sure the edges of your home are as neat as possible. I.e., no paint flecks on the ceiling or floor, and smooth off or cut any bits of the carpet that have threaded or become rough near the doorways and walls.
Consider this the finishing touch that lets all your other improvements earn the maximum value possible.
Simple Improvements, Thousands in Profit
Some small, simple, and subtle improvements can make a massive difference to what you get out of a property sale. And because of that, you might just earn yourself a few more thousand in profit once you’re done.
So, make time to complete improvements like these. You might feel they’ll go unnoticed in the grand scheme of a house viewing, but these are the kind of details that really stand out.
Better lighting, more neutral colors, storage solutions, and well laid tiles all add up to a house that showcases its potential. And if you neaten up the edges on top, buyers will be more than impressed with the space on offer.