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When you decide to undertake some home renovation projects, your main focus may be to upgrade your living space, but you should also think about what projects might be the most helpful for selling your home. While you might think that some home renovation projects are a surefire way to boost your property value and attract buyers, there are some projects that can potentially do the opposite. In this article, we will take a look at the ten best home renovation projects to help you sell your home.
Does every home renovation project add value to the house?
In short, no, not every home renovation project is going to add to your property value. It is also important to keep in mind that even if it does add to your property value, that is not the same thing as recouping the costs or making a profit. For example, if you spend $40,000 on a new metal roof for your home, but it only has a 50 percent return on investment, that means it can bump your property value by up to $20,000, which is much less than you spent on it.
What home renovation projects are the best to help me sell my house?
Some home improvement projects are going to be more valuable to your home than others. Let’s take a look.
1. Renovating your bathroom can help you sell
When looking for a new home, bathrooms are always one of the high priorities on a buyer’s list, so making some renovations to the bathrooms in your home is always a good idea. If you are renovating because you want to improve your bathroom, have fun with it, but if you are only doing some bathroom remodeling specifically to sell the house, keep it small.
You will not get as good of a return on your investment if you do a complete remodel right before selling, especially if you go all out and create a big, luxurious bathroom. Some of the smaller bathroom renovations that you can do before selling are:
● Install new flooring.
● Replace the wall tiles. If you want to give the bathroom a spa feel, install faux stone in the shower instead of new tiles. It has the same look and feel and gives the bathroom something unique and beautiful that will attract buyers.
● Purchase a new tub or shower.
● Re-caulk the tub.
● Replace your bathroom vanity.
● Replace the hardware — the faucet, cupboard handles, light switch, and light fixtures.
● Paint the bathroom.
2. Add a deck to your home renovation list
A deck gives a home a great outdoor living space to enjoy sunny afternoons with family and friends. It can take a couple of days to put a new deck together, depending on the size of it and your carpentry skills. You can use wood or composite for your deck. Composite looks similar to wood, but it is easier to keep clean, and it does not rot or splinter as wood does.
3. Declutter your home to make it attractive to buyers
While this is not a home renovation, per se, and it will not directly improve the value of your home, it is a crucial thing to do before putting a house on the market. Clean out all of your closets and storage areas, leaving them only half full. This will make the closets appear more spacious than if you leave them full or empty them completely.
A stuffed closet can make it seem like you have a lot less storage space in your home than you actually do. While doing this, remove more personal items and family photos to help buyers envision themselves living in your home. If you cannot part with the things you are removing, that’s fine; get a storage unit until you are ready to move. Do not hide your items in the garage or storage shed. Prospective buyers are going to see them when touring the house.
4. Replace your garage door to improve property value
How old is your current garage door? If you are scratching your head right now, trying to figure that out, it is a sign that you probably should replace it. A brand-new garage door can improve curb appeal and increase your home security. It typically only takes a few hours to install a new garage door; it is one that you can almost completely recoup the price of in your property value.
5. Make your house energy efficient to attract buyers
Improving the energy efficiency of your home can make a huge impact on your property value. There are a few different ways you can do this:
● Add new insulation.
● Replace old appliances with new energy-efficient ones.
● Replace the windows with energy-efficient ones.
● Replace the water heater or furnace.
If you plan to sell in the near future, do not add solar panels to your home. While they might be energy-efficient, they also require maintenance, so it can actually make buyers choose not to go with you.
6. Show off your hardwood floors
Do you have hardwood floors? A great home renovation project to help you sell your home is to refinish them and make them shine.
If you have old, dirty, or ugly carpet in your home that is sitting on top of an old wood floor, rip it out and make that wood shine bright again. Hardwood floors are popular with home buyers these days, so having them in your home can be a big help when you are selling it.
7. Install faux stone inside or outside the house
The look of natural stone is attractive, but it is expensive to add to your home, and it chips and cracks over time. Instead of using natural stone, faux stone is an excellent option that can be installed anywhere. You can use it to cover your home’s unsightly foundation, which is called wainscoting. You can replace your home siding with it.
If you have a fireplace, you can install it over the top of your fireplace surround. The only limits to where you can install it are your imagination. It is also a good way to show off some of your unique styles.
8. Paint your home with neutral colors
If you are selling your home, a fresh coat of paint is an easy home renovation project to complete that will give the walls a fresh, clean look and feel to it. While you might enjoy having brighter or more unique colors in your home now, buyers need to be able to envision themselves living in your home, and they might have trouble envisioning themselves living in a bright pink bedroom or with a dark red living room.
There are a lot of neutral colors you can choose from; you are not just stuck with white walls. You can use light, soothing gray paint or beige. Even light blue can be neutral enough to help you sell.
What about wallpaper?
Wallpaper is a beautiful and unique look that can let you show off your style. However, unless the wallpaper is a neutral tone with a fairly neutral pattern to it, it is not recommended to hang wallpaper if you are doing home renovations with the purpose of selling your home.
In fact, if you have wallpaper in your home, it might be a good idea to consider taking it down before you put it on the market. If you are not sure if it is neutral enough to leave in place, you can always consult your realtor.
9. Simplify your home landscaping
When selling your home, you have probably heard a lot about the importance of curb appeal. You want a potential buyer to look at your yard and be impressed by it without thinking that it is too much work. When renovating to sell, make sure you simplify the landscaping of your home looks easy to maintain and take care of.
A large flower bed or unique topiaries might be fun, but not every buyer wants something like that. Some things you can do include:
● Removing high-maintenance trees and plants.
● Clearing out the weeds.
● Edge your driveway and sidewalk.
● Fertilize the yard.
● Trim trees and bushes.
● Make sure walkways are well-lit.
10. Update your front door before you sell
Your front door is one of the first things that a buyer is going to see when they visit your property, and you want to make a good impression on potential buyers. If your front door is looking old, it might be a good idea to replace it completely to make it look more secure than it currently is.
You can also paint your front door a bright color to make it stand out and be a little more memorable. While you are at it, make sure the screen door is looking its best too, or replace it with something that looks a little nicer. This is an extremely affordable home renovation project that can give you an excellent return on your investment.
You can also get a new welcome mat, new light fixtures next to the front door, and even put a new potted plant next to it. All of these little touches combined with your new door can make the house stand out to potential buyers.
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