Let’s pretend, I have listed your home and it’s bound to hit the market in two weeks. You may be wondering if there is anything cheap and quick you can do yourself that will increase your home’s market value.
- People seriously undervalue the importance of decluttering, cleanliness and how good fresh paint makes people feel.
- On average, the clean & maintained home always sells faster and for more money than the one down the street that looks like a disaster.
- Spend just one weekend on these 5 things and you will see a higher return.
1. Fresh Paint
You can buy miscolour cans of paint for $10.00 at Home Depot. You won’t be living in the home much longer, so don’t worry too much about colour. Pick something neutral and easy to cover. The purpose is to get the home looking fresh while indicating to buyers that you really do care about the home and take care of it.
2. Replace Light Switch Panels
Super easy. Go to Home Depot and replace the old ones (if they look old). All you need for this is a screwdriver.
The first thing buyer’s touch in every single room is the light switch panels. If they are dirty, from the 70’s or have layers of old paint on them; you can be sure the buyers will notice. For $20.00, you can’t go wrong!
3. Clean
Give the home an extremely deep clean! I mean wash the baseboards, walls, inside cupboards and drawers. Re-stain the grout if you have to. People think just having a clean house to show buyers is too simple. It’s not! Buyers see that you have a clean home and they see that they can move in and not feel ‘dirty.’ They will appreciate it, trust me.
4. Declutter
If you can pack away excess ‘stuff.’ Buyers will 100% notice how spacious the house is if it is sparse. Declutter closets, counters, shelves, rooms, walls; EVERYTHING! If you don’t use it 3 times a day then pack it away (you are going to end up packing it anyway). The purpose of decluttering is to take away excess stuff and let buyers picture their own belongings in the house. Consider it pre-packing!
5. Do Some Yard Work
Borrow your neighbor’s pressure washer and give the siding a good wash. Also washing the deck or concrete/brick patio will make it show better. Mow the lawn, get rid of weeds, and level out soil/rock around the foundation. Fix up any lose brickwork in the yard.
Here are some additional thoughts: Decide on a scale of 1-10 how much effort you want to put into the home before it hits the market. A 1 is simply list it and put it on the market, a 10 is calling the contractor. Depending on the amount of effort you want to put in, this will reflect in the asking price of the home. At an effort level of a 1, you may have to be very competive on the market. The market value of the home will increase or decrease depending on how much effort you give it before it hits MLS. There's nothing wrong with not wanting to do any work to the property before you list, but be realistic with the price. If you want to greatly increase the market value of the home, make sure your staying with the neighborhood norm so that you don't over spend!
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Kelsey Smith Is Regina’s Choice
Choosing the right Realtor® is key to ensure a positive and successful real estate transaction. Kelsey Smith promises to deliver the education and time necessary to buy or sell your Regina home. Call 1-306-552-7047 and rest easy knowing you have made the right choice.