Five Upgrades To Make To your Home Before Selling It

Selling your home can be a scary situation (which is why we decided to rent ours when we bought a new one). Will you get what you want for it? Will you get what you need for it? Will you sell quickly? Will the people who buy your home care for and love it the way you did for so many years? Can you ask more? Is your house sellable as it is or do you have to make some changes? Chances are that unless you live in a model home with perfect taste, you will need to make a few upgrades to your home before you sell. These upgrades might include minor renovations like a fresh coat of paint, updated fixtures, or even essential maintenance tasks such as roof repair and air conditioning service. It is advised to hire a roofer to conduct a thorough roof inspection to determine if it requires repairs or replacement. Very few people live in model homes which means even if you don’t have to make big changes, you might still have to make some small changes and upgrades that will help it appeal to the masses and sell faster.

We have five amazing upgrades that are going to make it possible for you to sell your home for more money, and much faster than you hoped.

Bathroom Upgrades

A basic bathroom isn’t so bad since it’s not a difficult fix for most people. A bad bathroom, however, is such a turn off that most people will walk away within minutes and never look back. Dated bathrooms are one of the biggest turn offs anyone will encounter in a house they’re looking to buy. It’s an expense to upgrade bathrooms, but it’s one that will pay you back more than you ever thought possible. You will need to make sure you keep a few things in mind when remodeling bathrooms. One of the most important things is to stay neutral. For some reason, many people love color in the bathroom. Fine; decorate with colorful accents. Do not get colorful countertops, tubs or tile. Stay with white toilets and sinks, go with neutral granite and either go cheery or espresso or white with your cabinets. Builder-grade oak isn’t typically appealing if you’re going to remodel but if you’ve already got it, it might not be so bad if you re-do everything else.

Kitchen Upgrades

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house. If your kitchen is dated, fix it right now. No one wants a kitchen upgrade on their hands. It’s expensive and it’s time-consuming, and people want nice kitchens that are already put together. You’re going to need nice cabinets, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances to appeal to the greatest number of buyers. You’re going to want nice, neutral tile floors and a nice tile backsplash. Steer clear of color in the kitchen. Neutrals are your friend. A gorgeous green countertop might be everything you ever wanted, but it’s not even remotely close to what most people really want in their kitchens. Oh, and you will get extra points if you get a double wall oven and a flat cooktop in your kitchen. It’s very high-end and people love it. Islands are also a huge selling point. Add some recessed lighting in the kitchen and people are going to go completely crazy for it; they won’t even care what the rest of the house looks like.

Floor Upgrades

Carpet is nice for some, and it’s comfortable, but it’s not appealing. If you want to appeal to the highest number of possible buyers, you’re going to want to upgrade your floors. We recommend going with something such as wood floor in a neutral color. Too dark can be beautiful for some and a turn off for others. Too light can be the same way; a good middle of the wheel color is going to appeal to more buyers and make other people feel that it’s okay. Wood is easy to clean and it’s luxurious. And it’s going to appeal to people with and without kids, whereas carpet tends to be a big turn off for people with small kids because of how much work it is to clean messes and spills. Tile is also nice, but most buyers prefer a nice neutral tile in at least 16-inch pieces. 20-inches is much better, but 16 will do. Tiles that are 12 inches tend to look small and unappealing, and solid white is always a turn off. Use a slightly darker grout since white can look dirty quickly and most people don’t love it. And make sure that you have your new tile sealed nicely so that it’s smooth. Rough tile is difficult on the feet.

Paint Upgrades

It’s very difficult for buyers to walk into your home and see themselves living there when it’s too personal. While you can remove your clutter and personal artifacts all day long, your walls will tell another story. It’s far easier for potential buyers to see the potential in a new home if the colors on the wall are neutral. You should go with grays, tans and whites to make the color palette as pleasing as possible and to appeal to the biggest number of buyers. Color can be distracting and seem like a lot of work for many buyers. If they see 12 rooms that need painting, they might decide they want to leave and not bother.

Landscaping Upgrades

Did you know the vast majority of people in this world base their opinion on a home from the outside? If they see your house from the street and it does not immediately appeal to them, the chance that they will want to see the interior of the home greatly diminishes. For this reason, you need to upgrade that landscaping. You need to make sure your grass is green – and cut – your trees and shrubs are cut and in good condition and that the exterior of your home is in good condition. If you’re lucky, you will need to do nothing more than simply do a little gardening. If your home is older, however, this might mean replacing doors, windows, the roof and even repainting your home. A good power washing can make a huge difference for newer homes, too.

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