5 Home Improvements to Sell Your Home Faster

Not all home improvements are meant to be enjoyed as a homeowner as much as they’ll benefit you as a seller. But Elite Homes, a homebuilder in Louisville, Kentucky, is here to show you some upgrades that may not be elaborate, but they could make or break the sale of your home. Here are five home improvements can increase the value of your home. 

1. Bathroom Remodel.  Bathroom upgrades can provide as much as almost 80% returns.  This includes new countertops, faucets, light fixtures and other simple, but essential features. No need to splurge on fancy fixtures, but instead keep things neutral and classic to appeal to all types of buyer tastes.

2. Landscaping. Your yard is the first thing people see, so any improvement will be valuable.  When deciding what upgrades to make first, start from your curb and work your way to the front door. This mimics what the buyer will see first as they arrive and begin making their initial judgments. Small year round plants add nice appeal, while larger trees and shrubs also help with erosion and water run off. 

3. Exterior Improvements.  New siding makes a huge difference aesthetically, but more importantly protects your home. Certain materials like fiber-cement provide much more return on investment than vinyl, for example, which can crack, rot or fade. Swapping in new energy efficient windows is also big for buyers as they make a home feel warmer and save significantly on utilities overtime.

4. Attic or Basement Conversion.  Whether your goal is to convert the space into a bedroom for guests/in-laws or an area to entertain and relax, some new dry wall, floors and lighting can reap significant return on investment. 

5. Build a Deck or Porch. While these areas provide potential buyers the chance to envision themselves enjoying family cookouts and gatherings, they also offer a nice, seamless transition from the inside out.  These additions typically recoup about 85% of costs and can make a huge difference in the eyes of buyers who appreciate the bonus living space a nice outdoor area can provide.

If you’re ready to move into an Elite home, then start thinking about what your buyers may want so that you can sell your home in the near future! Some of these improvements may not be as valuable to you as they are to the next owners, so it’s important to see how noticing the difference can be more of a benefit when you’re ready to move.

10 Tips to Improve Your Home's Curb Appeal

First impressions matter. especially when it comes to selling your home, and that usually means having great curb appeal. “Curb appeal” is the impact your home’s exterior makes on visitors. Buyers form vital impressions of homes while standing in the street or sitting inside the car, just beyond the curb. And those first few minutes can make or break a potential sale. 

1.    Clean up.  Sometimes the most obvious way to enhance curb appeal is simply by deep cleaning the exterior of your home. Turn the nozzle on your garden hose to the strongest setting and clean off your driveway, sidewalk, windows, and fence.  If dirt and grime is really caked on your home’s exterior, you can rent a power washer. For maximum sparkle, clean your windows outside and inside.

2.    Give your door a facelift.  A new coat of paint can do wonders. Consider adding molding, which offers a decorative frame for your door, welcoming visitors while serving as a grand entrance.  You can also glam up your door by adding metal house numbers, or a wreath or seasonal decorations.

3.    Have fun with your house numbers. If you’d rather not add house numbers to your freshly painted door, here are some alternative ideas:

·      Add house numbers to a post planter near the front porch.

·      Make use of the front porch stair risers by hanging or painting numbers there.

4.    Add some fun to your light fixtures.  Replacing exterior light fixtures is another curb appeal must. Just make sure your new light fixtures have the same mounting system. And if you want to save on lighting, just try spray-painting them — a can of spray paint costs around $10.

5.     Refresh your mailbox. Replacing your mailbox is easy enough, but why stop there? Try planting a welcoming mailbox garden. Dwarf, compact shrubs are good choices because they stay smaller and require less pruning. Plants such as liriope, daylilies and agapanthus are useful because they don’t get too tall, and quickly fill in, eventually eliminating the need for mulch. 

6.    Bring beauty to your doorstep.  Placing a container garden at your doorstep is a quick and affordable way to liven things up. Not a fan of flowers? Try foliage plants. Just plant something low-maintenance so that they thrive even if you forget to water them. (Dead plants definitely hurt curb appeal!) Choose pots and plants that complement the colors and style of the house.

7.     Install flower boxes. Flower boxes are a quick way to add some life and color to your house windows. If you don’t want to worry about installing flower boxes, the aforementioned container garden is just fine.

8.     Prune the landscape. It’s common knowledge that you should give your landscape plantings a trim before selling a home, but this is also the time to audit your ‘trash trees’ and overgrown foundation plantings. Have the big stuff removed by a professional. Paved paths or patios can bring value to the property because they make life easier without costing much time or effort.

9.    Be deliberate about patio furniture. Limit personal decor and furniture. Just as you would aim to simplify the interior of your home when your house is on the market, the exterior of your home should allow prospective buyers to envision their own style in the space. 

1. Get creative with storing/hiding items. Place a small lattice fence or side of paneling around the A/C condenser, and hide your trash bins behind a small fence or in a garbage can shed. You can also hide your hose in a pot or storage bench.

Some Cheap and Easy Ways To Increase Your Home’s Value

A recent poll identified not being able to sell one’s current home as a homeowner’s greatest fear. In an age where, according to HGTV, every home should be a stylized showroom, fearing that your home won’t live up to the competition is all too real.

Here are 10 great ways to cheaply increase your home’s value.

1.    Organize, Clean And De-Clutter.

Hire a professional cleaning service to clean your entire home. De-clutter your rooms to make them look more spacious – a big selling point for buyers.

And either sell your stuff, give it away or put it in storage.

Cost: $400

Value: $2,000

ROI: 400%

2.    Light Up The House

Spending as little as $100-$400 on new lighting fixtures can bring your home’s best features to light. 

Cost: $100 to $400

Value: $1,600 when $400 is spent

ROI: 300%

If you invest $1,500 in lighting, you can turn an average profit of $7,800. Giving your home’s value a boost of over $9,000.

Invest for the future – choose Internet of Things devices that can be controlled with a smartphone.

3.    Maintenance and Inspection

Bring in a local designer to give you tips and suggestions for small changes that can help increase value.

Get an inspection to make sure there are no plumbing leaks, electrical problems, issues with the septic system or furnace, leaky windows, heating or insulation issues.

Cost: $800 for repairs

Value: $3,000

ROI: 275%

4.    Landscaping In The First Impression

Increase your curb appeal by cleaning up your yard and plantings. If the outside of your home looks unkempt, it gives the impression to potential buyers that the rest of the house is just as unkempt.  Also, overgrown gardens can block sunlight and the views, as well as allowing mold to grow.

Cost: $400 to $600

Value: $1,500 to $2,000

ROI: 200 to 275%

5.    Update The Flooring

Shampoo or replace carpets. Add hardwood floors or repair existing ones.

Cost: $600 to $900

Value: Up to $2,000

ROI: 110 to 233%

6.    Fresh Paint

Paint the walls and the baseboards and trim with a neutral color. Doing it yourself will save money, but hiring a painter will get it done faster and professionally.

Cost: $900 to $1,000

Value: $2,000

ROI: 100 to 120%

If you invest $2,000 on fresh paint for the whole house, it can result in a $3,000 profit, adding about $5,000 to the home’s value.

7.    Upgrade Your Roof

Repairing or replacing your roof can cost up to $12,000. But simply adding a cupola adds elegance and curb appeal for less money.

Cost: $500 to $1,500

Value: $500 to $2,500

ROI: 66 to 233%

8.    Paint The Exterior

Anything that helps add to your curb appeal is a worthy investment. Power washing and painting the exterior of your home is a great way to add value.

Cost: $1,400

Value: $2,100

ROI: 50%

9.    Kitchen and Bathroom Remodel

If your cabinets are in good shape, an easy way to spruce up your kitchen or bathroom is simply painting the cabinetry.

An updated kitchen and/or bathroom with fresh paint, new countertops, stainless steel fixtures, new hardware and lighting can add an extra $2,000 to $3,000 to the value of your home.

Cost: $1,900

Value: $3,200

ROI: 68%

A $500 investment in making some small changes can increase value, too. 

-       Remove rust stains

-       Apply new caulk

-       Update knobs & pulls

-       Replace faucets

-       Install an eco-friendly toilet

Adding a half bath to your home adds up to 10% to your home’s value, while a full bath adds about 20%.

10. High Quality Photos of Your Home

After you put in all this work on your home, don’t forget to use high resolution images when you post photos online.

90% of buyers start their new home search on the internet. Make sure you post plenty of really good quality photos to draw the interest of potential buyers.

These tips will help you put your home’s best foot forward – without costing an arm and a leg!

Elite Homes builds beautiful garden home communities perfect for baby boomers 55+ - featuring, single-family, low-maintenance homes, in a relaxing and convenient locations around Louisville.