Curb Appeal
When it comes to selling your home, first impressions will play a huge part. That being said, you want to make your home as attractive from the outside as possible. Imagine someone driving past your house and seeing the “For Sale” sign. Based on what they can see from their car, would they want to get out and take a closer look? Or just keep driving? The front of your house is also usually the first picture that someone will see when looking at houses online.
On average, you will see an 80% or higher return on the money that you invest in improving your house’s curb appeal. Generally speaking, it is the number one best investment when it comes to resale value on your home. Planting some bushes or bright flowers will help make your yard look nice, as will making sure that you keep your lawn green and trimmed. If your house looks dingy or it’s an unusual color, you should also consider repainting your home before putting it on the market.
If you want to go all out, you can also consider building a patio area or a deck. These additions are most costly, but they also add a lot of appeal and resale value to a home. If you’re considering making a big monetary investment, it’s always a good idea to talk with your realtor first to see what kind of return you can reasonably expect on your investment.
Kitchen
While other rooms in your house are important, a great kitchen can make an otherwise ordinary house much more appealing. Likewise, a bad kitchen can significantly impact an otherwise great house. While styles like open floor plans may come and go, everyone always appreciates an attractive and functional kitchen.
Upgrades to kitchens are usually considered to be a good investment, though you shouldn’t upgrade the kitchen far past the quality of the rest of the house. Most homebuyers are looking for new appliances in the kitchen, but that doesn’t need you need to buy the most expensive ones out there. Getting a mid-range set of new, matching appliances, and applying a fresh coat of paint to your cupboards can go a long way to giving your kitchen a new look.
Technology
This is the age of technology, and most home buyers want homes that fit their needs. If you are replacing old appliances in your home, make sure you get ones that are energy efficient. Likewise, if you’re going to replace other items, like shower heads, toilets, or HVAC units, you should invest in ones that will help save money on the electrical bill. If these items don’t need to be replaced, it’s probably not worth the money to replace them, but if you have to replace them anyway, you can up your value by choosing energy efficient models.
If you have an older home, you should also consider your outlets. Many older homes only have two electrical outlets per room, which is not enough in high usage rooms like the kitchen and living room. Installing new outlets can be a bit more expensive, but a kitchen with four outlets will be a lot more practical and appealing than a kitchen with two.
