5 Economical Improvements Before Listing

To quote Ralph Marston, " What you do today can improve your tomorrows." This is no different when it comes to listing your home to sell. In such a competitive market, you want the edge. You want to sell your home as quickly as possible, while also profiting as much as possible. Today we delve into 5 "economical" improvements to consider before listing your home. The purpose? Do not break the bank trying to sell your home, break the bank with your profits!

1. New Interior Paint - Chances are, regardless of how long you lived in your home, there is some natural wear and tear, whether it be paint fading, or holes from hanging pictures, these blemishes come out particularly bright in photos. A fresh coat of paint, in a neutral color, is a great way to have a fresh look for buyers! According to Zillow, certain browns and grays have been known to fetch premiums upwards of $2500!

2. "Curb Appeal" - You never get a second chance to make a first impression and the first impression buyers will have of your home is what it looks like from the outside, or curb appeal. Widely known as the most commonly completed economical project for home sellers, curb appeal will determine, in some cases, if a buyer even makes it inside your home! We previously spoke about a fresh coat of paint on the interior and this applies to the exterior as well. Repainting your front door, sealing driveway cracks, updating your street address numbers, are just a few examples of a Saturday project that can earn you extra money on your sale!

3. Smart Home - Changing your home from a "dumb" home to a Smart Home is trendy and for lots of reasons! According to various surveys, about 40% of buyers rate Smart Home technology as important to their decision. Smart thermostats and lights, not only look cool, but can save money on energy bills. Adding these features, and maybe even some hands-free tech, could see a significant boost on your return!

4. New Lighting - Following up on before, good lighting is CRUCIAL to your home showing well, specifically if you lack natural light. It is easy and inexpensive, and depending on the situation, could actually make a room feel larger! Also, for an insider trick, adding mirrors in certain places can bring more lighting into a room and has become more stylish in recent years!

5. Minor Bathroom Updates - We aren't speaking about a $40k bathroom remodel here, we are speaking about more lighting switch outs, maybe some minor recaulking of showers and tubs, heck, you could even reglaze a tub, as opposed to rip one out and put a new one in!

In Conclusion...

Size is not everything and a few small alterations can pay major dividends in the end, as well as make your property stand out above the rest of the CMA. When I was selling my last home, my real estate agent swore to me that cleaning the grout in our restrooms would add no value to the house. I did not care, my wife and I spent a decent amount of time cleaning the grout. We do not know if it made a financial difference, however, every house we went and looked at? We ALWAYS looked at the grout and we know those who viewed our house did as well. Trust those in the know! Feel free to reach out to The Finchler Group for any and all of your real estate questions and needs!