Recently, I’ve helped a number of people sell their homes, and one lady in particular needed some painting and landscaping work done on her property. She consulted with us and followed our instructions for some simple updates to make around her home. After a staging consultation, we listed the home and received multiple offers on it after just four days, which drove the price up as high as it could go. If you want to follow in this seller’s footsteps and sell quickly for above asking price, keep these specific home improvements in mind:
1. Neutralize the color palette. Light gray is a very popular color these days, but beige or even “greige” are also solid choices that buyers seem to love. Just make sure that the gray you pick doesn’t appear as a light blue in your home’s lighting.
2. Update your curb appeal. Your front door is very important as far as first impressions go, so restain or repaint it if it looks dated. If it’s noticeably worn or has busted hardware, replacing it will definitely be worth your money. Also, power washing the driveway and sidewalks makes everything seem fresher, as does adding new plants to your flower bed. Mulch is the amazing forgiver of all home gardening sins, so be sure to add a fresh layer in there, too. Don’t forget to keep your shrubs and trees trimmed so that there are no branches hanging down precariously over the roof.
3. Update your flooring. Waterproof vinyl-plank “wood” flooring is quite popular right now because it’s much easier to install (and uninstall) than ceramic tile and it looks sleek. If you have older carpets, it’s time to replace them. If you’re worrying about buyers not liking the new carpet you choose, don’t—even if your buyer ends up replacing it later, your home will always show 10x better with brand-new carpets, and that’s what counts. You’ll also want to clean the grout on your tile floors (if you need help with this, I have an amazing vendor who specializes in making grout look fresh).
4. Update your kitchen. This is probably the most important room in your whole house, so update it as much as you can. That could mean adding some new fixtures or staining or repainting the cabinets a nice clean white or grayish color. Of course, granite or quartz countertops always help as well.
5. Let in as much natural light as you can. Open things up and let the sunshine brighten every space in your home. Clean the blinds, clean the windows, and remove solar screens if you have them. Before listing, it might behoove you to invest in some “daylight” light bulbs—they really provide a certain glow that buyers respond well to.
Hopefully you found this list to be helpful. Don’t hesitate to reach out by phone or email if you want some specialized information for your particular selling needs; we’d be more than happy to check out your home and offer some tips and tricks. In the meantime, we’re always here to answer any questions you may have.
