Entering the property market can be exciting and nerve-wracking all in one. You may have grand plans for renovating your home to serve the purpose of making your house more enjoyable to live in, or you’ve set yourself the task of renovating to earn a profit from your investment and increase your homes resale value.
The housing market can be unstable even at the best of times, but there are some fundamental things you can do to make sure your home is in the best possible shape to help increase its resale value. All homes can be made appealing to buyers, and with aesthetics being at the top of the list, here are some improvements that will help you transform your home.
1. REFRESH YOUR KITCHEN AND BATHROOM
These are two of the most important rooms in your home. Buyers can often overlook everything else if they find a house with a kitchen and/or bathroom they love. So it makes sense to focus on improving those two things above all else. If you don’t have a big renovation budget, a fresh coat of paint with some greenery in both areas can potentially boost your asking price. For your kitchen, some cost effective options are replacing your handles, painting the cupboards and adding in some decorative pendant lights. For your bathroom, adding a large mirror and painting over outdated tiles can do the trick.
2. GIVE THE ENTIRE HOUSE A FRESH COAT OF PAINT
A fresh coat of paint can go a long way, especially if you’ve been in the house for a while or have particular colour tastes that may be polarising to some buyers. Neutral colours sell better than bold colours as they allow buyers to see beyond the decor, look at the house itself and see its potential.
If you’re strapped for cash, this is definitely a DIY job that you can attempt but there are lots of skilled painters who offer their services at an affordable rate. Things to consider are your skills with a roller and cutting in, plus the time it will take and the stress you may endure. Either way, it will brighten up your house and make it look more refreshed.
3. MAKEOVER THE GARDEN
Many of us seem to focus on our home’s interior but your garden is just as important, increasing the curb appeal of your home will drastically increase its resale value. Landscaping can become expensive so if you can’t afford to invest in a complete makeover, there are some easy things you can do yourself to maintain your landscaping, such as watering your plants regularly, weeding, buying a lawn mower and keeping your lawn neat or buying colourful pot plants. Be sure to plant low maintenance perennials and prune any hedges, keeping things neat and tidy will make a big difference. For those who have decks, you may want to invest in refinishing the timber, which is more of a task but has a huge overall impact.
4. LET THERE BE LIGHT!
We don’t mean spending money on expensive chandeliers and lighting fixtures that don’t match your furniture, we mean making sure that your house is full of light! Making your home light and airy can have a wonderful effect when it comes to selling. For those that have a bigger budget, installing skylights to let natural light in will help lift a room and give the feel of more space. If you’re on a budget, simply assess the lighting systems in place and think about upgrading them. Sometimes all it takes is replacing a regular lightbulb with an LED which are brighter and more efficient.
5. DECLUTTER AND STAGE YOUR HOME
This is the perfect opportunity to Marie Kondo your life! Your homes features may have been appealing when you first bought it but now they’re buried under piles of clutter and mountains of kids toys… Before you can even begin to try and represent how each space in your home can be utilised, you need to declutter. Ensure you are only keeping things that are necessary and wanted. Remove items that go unused on a day to day basis and store them at a family or friends place. By decluttering and organising your home, it will help the moving process be smoother and you’ll increase your homes character and appeal, it’s a win-win.
You don’t have to spend heaps of money on new furniture or expensive changes, but paying attention to the small details can significantly increase your resale value. Buyers are generally looking at your homes aesthetic so making sure your possessions are neat and tidy and your personal photographs are kept to a minimum can help improve your odds.
6. MAKE SURE IT’S CLEAN
If it’s dirty, it will not sell. One of the biggest factors in selling your home is its overall cleanliness so making sure it’s clean will pay off, and it’s the easiest thing to do! When showing your home, doing things like raising the window blinds, cleaning your window sills, lowering your toilet seats, adding candles that don’t smell too strong and making sure your skirtings aren’t dusty can all add up to increase your homes appeal.
Selling your house is not that easy. You need to be patient and accommodating when it comes to finding the perfect buyer for your home. If you plan to sell, making small improvements over time is the best way to improve its resale value while sticking to your budget. Keep things simple and ask for advice from a real estate agent to see where your focus should be. Remember, everyone has different tastes, but clean and well-maintained never goes out of style.