How to Improve the Resale Value of Your Home

How to Improve the Resale Value of Your Home

Prior to placing your home on the market there are many things that you can do to increase its resale value. All of these things can be done yourself, saving a great deal of money.

Start outside and remember to make a good first impression. An attractive exterior will be remembered by potential buyers and can sometimes make all the difference. Pressure wash the exterior walls and make sure there is no clutter, trash, or other eyesores in the yard.

Keep the lawn mowed and edged and mulch the flower garden. If you do not have a flower garden invest in a few flowers to decorate the yard. Flowers are inviting and will make an excellent first impression.

Before showing the home make sure that the inside of the house is clutter free and organized. This will give the impression that the house is more spacious and elegant. Give the walls and windows a good cleaning until they look like new.

Painting the walls may be a good investment also. Make sure to use two coats of paint; regardless of the paint,s quality two coats will look better and more professional. The first coat is a primer, after drying use a fine grit 220 sandpaper to sand the walls and take a damp cloth to them to pick up the sanding dust. Using two coats of semi-gloss latex paint will allow you to achieve maximum results.

Put up wood trimming and cornicing for an upgraded, modern look. Ceiling trim and armchair railing will accentuate the newly painted walls.

Replace old light switches and outlets. By switching to more modern switches it gives the home an appearance of having newer electrical wiring. They will look great and can often be done with existing wiring. Make sure to shut off the power before working with the wiring yourself.

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms to focus on when redoing the home. It will give you the biggest return on your work as the kitchen is one of the first rooms that home buyers look at. Upgrade an old kitchen sink, particularly if it is a shallow single basin.

An undermount sink is the perfect compliment to any modern kitchen. It is a gorgeous addition. Stainless steel kitchen sinks are functional and stunning. Either can be found at a retailer that deals in discount kitchen sinks, potentially saving you a great deal of money.

Redo the cabinets with a bright finish, this will help the kitchen appear brighter and more open. Don't forget the countertops; give them a fresh feel by using a small three inch roller and applying catalyzed epoxy. This will give them the appearance of a textured surface and make them look like new.

If the home is in a hot, humid climate also install ceiling fans in the home. This can be a very inexpensive project that will increase the home's energy efficiency and improve the home's perceived value.

Hardwood flooring has also become fashionable again. You can check the condition of the floor by pulling up a small piece of carpet in the corner of a closet. If the floor is in good condition you can very inexpensively pull up the carpet and refinish the floor.

Finally, after completing all this work to improve the resale value of your home, install higher wattage light bulbs so that potential buyers can see how great everything looks. It will also make your home brighter and more inviting.

There are a few additional things that you should allow a professional to do that can make a huge impact on the resale value of your home as well.

It will be well worth the investment to have a professional clean the carpets so that they look like new. Old, dirty carpets and seriously hurt you while showing the home.

Also consider paying a professional floor plan company to come out and asses the square footage of your home. This can cost a few hundred dollars, but often the home will prove bigger than what is officially recorded, making you hundreds or even thousands based on the increased footage.

There are many things that homeowners can do for themselves that will increase the value of their home. Follow these steps and watch your home be transformed and the value increase.

Author's Bio:
Cedric Crumbley lives in Des Moines, IA with his beautiful new bride Angelica. He enjoys running and the written word and is the publisher of eminent-kitchen-sinks.com. Growing up he never used a dish washer and instead kept the dishes clean by washing them in the kitchen sink. His admiration for kitchen sinks has lasted to this day.