The housing market is notoriously tough. There are usually more people trying to sell houses than there are people trying to buy them. Not everyone can afford to buy a home which makes the people who can rare.
With the rise of HGTV people who are buying homes are more aware of what they want in a home. There are so many upgrades and cool things that can be added to a home, and buyers aren’t willing to settle. Most people do not want to buy a house that they have to work on themselves.
If you are trying to sell an outdated home you are going to have a tough time. Unless you are lucky enough to find a buyer that wants to go through the trouble of renovating a home, you are going to need to make some upgrades. The good news is there are some cost-effective options that add value and interest to your home.
1. Small Jobs
Fixing the small little broke things around your home is a great way to start. Even just making sure the little things around your home are working properly can help out with the selling process. It is also an easy and cheap way to make your home look better.
Most homes have some chipped paint or squeaky doors that could use a little TLC. If you have cabinets with missing or lose nobs go ahead and replace or tighten them up. Power washing the outside of your house increases curb appeal and will make your house look newer.
Just cleaning up a few things is enough to make your house look better. A clearly well-used home is not likely to sell quickly. So clean your baseboards and fix up the little broken things around your home. Your house will look instantly better.
2. Paint
You have probably made your home very much yours. Which is great! That is what homes are for. Sadly, nobody wants to buy a home that looks like it is made for someone else.
Painting most of your walls one neutral color is a good idea. It makes your home look like a blank slate for the new buyer. It also creates a cohesive look all over your home. It makes the different rooms look like they go together.
A fresh coat of paint is a nice thing to see in any home you walk into. There is something about fresh paint that can make a whole home look better. A good, even paint job is enough to grab a potential buyer’s attention.
3. Fix Extra Space
There are a lot of places in older houses that can be utilized as extra space. Attics, crawl spaces, and basement are more room you can use to make your home look better on paper and in person. They are also sucking up money if they are not properly fixed anyway.
Attics without insulation and drywall are letting air seep right out of your home. Un-walled crawl spaces are a good place for mold to grow. Basements that have been left without maintenance or walling attract bugs and could have unnoticed foundation issues.
Hiring an inspector for those spaces and also some commercial drywall contractors is a good start. You can find out if there are any underlying issues in the spaces you do not actively live in. The drywall contractors can give you a quote for installing insulation and drywall to keep your air from leaking out and adding some value to your home.
4. Update Outdoors
Adding some great outdoor features is a great way to make your home look better and add value. People who buy your home are going to be looking for outdoor space. People who want outdoor space want to be able to spend time outside and enjoy it.
There are a few ways to upgrade your yard. A good place to start is with basic landscaping. If you have dead grass then you should plant some new grass to make your yard look more inviting. Plant some bright flowers along the front of your house to add curb appeal. Add some quick stone walls to make your garden look more professional.
Building a deck or patio is a good way to add actual value to your home. It is extra space you can capitalize on. Building a deck is also not really a hard project to undertake. With some wood, nails, and paint you can give your house an outdoor entertaining space that buyers will love.
5. Upgrade Little Things
Upgrading all of your appliances can get expensive quickly. It also can be very expensive to replace your heating system to a more modern system. Just replacing a few small things can add quality to your home.
New faucets can be all your home needs. Your kitchen faucet, bathroom faucet, and even showerheads are easy to replace. They also do more for a home than you realize. Upgraded faucets make the whole kitchen and bathroom look newer and more modern.
Upgrading door knobs from the dated gold to a more modern silver, or getting sleeker knobs on your cabinets can stand out to a buyer. Little details mean a lot to a person who has been to see a ton of houses that look very similar. Small things stand out in house buying.
Conclusion:
Selling a home is a difficult undertaking. A house showing takes more prep work and energy than is expected. Selling a home quickly is always the goal of someone trying to move.
Fixing up a few little things around your home, adding a new coat of paint, cleaning up, and utilizing the space you have are all great ways to make your home stand out. It is a tough market. Having a home on the market that you are still paying for while you are buying a new house is one of the most stressful, money-sucking things in the world.
Prepare your home to look great to potential buyers. Make your home cohesive and as modern as you can without breaking the bank. All of these things will give your house the best chance of selling quickly.
