Ten inexpensive improvements to help sell a home

There are many inexpensive projects that a homeowner should consider before putting their house on the market. Here’s a list of ten home improvement suggestions that might lead you to more success in your home sale.

1. Curb appeal: Clean it up. It actually doesn’t cost more than a little elbow grease. Mow the lawn. Do the weeding. Add some fresh bark. Add plants. Freshen up the paint. Scrub the sidewalks. If there’s any maintenance you’ve been putting off, now’s the time to get it done.

2. Front door: That’s the first place that buyers get an up-close look at the house, you want to make sure that you’re hitting on all cylinders. The front door should be painted (add some flowers that match the door color nearby). Add a kick plate. Silver and brushed nickel kick plates are very popular.

3. Improve light: Open the blinds. Make sure all burnt out bulbs have been replaced.

4. Open space: Wide, open entertainment areas are very popular. It’s not too expensive to move walls around. Consider whether a kitchen nook or a wide open kitchen area would be more appealing for a buyer.

5. Painting: The key thing on painting is lighter colors expand the room, darker colors contract the room. If we’re trying to put the house on the market we don’t want to use a lot of crazy colors. Consider your furniture when selecting your paint color. Recommendation: Take a picture of your room and take the photo to the paint shop. Ask for a color that will fit with your color scheme. Think about the buyer, not you.

6. Kitchen and bath: Clean the grout. Consider re-facing or painting cabinet doors. New bath fixtures can be replaced pretty simply. Consider upgrading countertops with stone or tile.

7. Deck: Clean and seal the deck. A clean looking deck will increase sellability. If deck is in bad condition, consider removing it. A rotting deck can be worse than no deck.

9. Home office: Everybody wants a home office these days. If you have a small bedroom, stage that as an office. Bring in a desk a chair and a computer. You can even convert a closet into a small office space.

8. Staging: Realtors or other services can help you rearrange your furniture to help your house look its best. You can even use a furniture rental center to add pieces to your presentation.

10. Improvement funding: 203K loans may be available for larger improvement projects you think you need to complete to sell your home. For projects you’re considering consult remodelingonline.com. They have estimates for return on investment for home improvement projects.

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By MyNorthwest.com Staff