Face Lift Anyone?

Who will be getting the face lift? Well, your house, of course!

The March 2015 Edition on Consumer Reports listed 5 ways you can possibly raise the value of your home – whether it be because you want to sell now or just spruce up your home for your own enjoyment. We agree with their suggestions and thought it would be beneficial to share.

The article starts by suggesting you “clean up, clear out.” When listing your house for sale and while it is for sale, do make your best effort to keep the house tidy, clean and with a touch of an inviting smell. Now, with how many hours we all work and with pets, kids and life in general this can prove to be challenging, but it is the small effort at the end of the day that will make a difference. Get some plug-ins for the house and put one on each floor; vacuum every few days to avoid an accumulation of dust bunnies; de-clutter anything and everything you can. Organization will not only make your house look better but it will make you feel better too.

Consumer Reports then suggests to “spruce up the kitchen.” Kitchens can sell a home so take a step back and look at your kitchen as if you were a prospective Buyer. Make sure all items in the kitchen are in good working order and clean. Then, if you feel the need, take a look at replacing really old items with newer options. There are cost effective ways to upgrade an appliance to the new “stainless steel ” standard Buyers are looking for. Finally, if you wanted take a look at a change in flooring that would be a little bit more of an investment but would yield more of a return. All in all, do what is within your budget.

Step 3 from the article says “freshen up the bath.” Similar to the kitchen, you will want your bathrooms to look and feel clean. Caulking in places where it needs to be caulked; updating light fixtures; possibly re-painting as bathrooms are traditionally smaller than bedrooms – putting in a little elbow grease will go a long way.

Next Consumer Reports suggests you “paint the rooms – selectively.” In general (and if you like to paint) it is nice to touch up your home every few years with a new coat of paint – a form of proactive maintenance if you will. There are Buyers of all shapes and sizes and paint color enthusiasts so you probably will never be able to make everyone happy. However, if you have a room in an abnormal or very bright color, it may be in your best interest to re-paint.

Finally the article suggests to “enhance the exterior.” A little trim around the edges goes a long way. Cut your grass; prune the flowers and trees; pull out the weeds; add a few colorful plants to the front porch. Most Buyers judge a property by the on-line pictures (within their price range of course among other parameters) and then the next consideration is the curb appeal as they come to view the property. Give your house that face lift it needs and enjoy being outside while doing it.

Putting in some work beforehand will make a huge difference when it comes time to sell. Of course some of these enhancements need to be thought through a few months in advance of wanting to list your property. Or, as we mentioned above, feel free to just spruce up your house for fun with a few of our ideas. Your house will probably be your biggest investment so take the time to make it look fabulous!

Katie Ridgway, REALTOR/Assistant to Sally Sparks

Source: Consumer Reports Magazine, March 2015, “The Top 5 Ways to Raise Your Home’s Value – Now.”