There is no doubt about it, the real estate market is hot right now. Home sales and prices have continued to climb spurred on by consecutive months of decreasing interest rates. Many homeowners flocked to take advantage of these historic low rates to either refinance and lower their payments or to upgrade to a new and bigger home.
This increase in activity in the housing market has spurred on a home improvement boom as well. Homeowners have been eager to make small improvements to the homes they are putting on the market, while opting for more extravagant projects and upgrades on their new home.
For savvy homeowners wanting to extract as big an ROI as possible from the sale of their home, making small improvements is a must. But, how can they achieve this without eating away at their savings?
Well, there is definitely a balance that must be struck in order to make the right kind of improvements. The type of upgrades that bring the biggest return, can be done quickly, and are not too expensive.
Here are the top projects to tackle when trying to sell your home.
Interior Painting
For starters, painting the interior of your home is an instant way to freshen up the house, brighten it up and make it look updated. Sticking to neutral colors has been shown to help sell a home faster, as homebuyers can visualize their own furniture and design much easier this way. If your paint is still in good shape a touch up of high traffic areas or painting over scratches or scrapes can help enhance the space. The small details matter, so make sure all trim and door frames are painted and clean.
Landscaping
The key with any landscaping project before you sell a house is simplicity. You don’t want to invest in complicated or elaborate landscape designs and projects. For starters, you want to make sure you trim hedges and trees, that you remove all debris and yard waste, and that you pull weeds and mow the lawn. These simple things can make your hard look sharp and well taken care of. This really impresses prospective buyers.
Aside from this, it’s a good idea to do a bit of maintenance on any gates, fences or outdoor structures. If you have a fence that needs mending or painting, this can greatly improve your chances of selling your home quickly and at a higher price. Eliminating anything that may suggest the house wasn’t regularly maintained is key.
When it comes time for putting your plan into action, simply search for “landscapers near me” and you’ll be able to enlist the help of an experienced professional to make these repairs or to bring your landscape back to life.
Wood flooring or Cleaning Carpets
Flooring has a huge impact on home sales. We don’t normally think too much about flooring, but when it’s not good, it really stands out. If you have wood floors and they look a bit scuffed up, it’s a good idea to get them refinished by a professional. The shine and charm of hardwood floors cannot be underestimated because it has an instant impact on people who are doing walkthroughs of the home. This can be the feature that solidifies the decision to put in the offer. According to the top company for hardwood flooring Naperville, refinishing your floors can be done in one day.
If you have carpet, it is so important to make sure the carpets are thoroughly cleaned. You can find a local carpet cleaning business to do it for a good price. You’d be surprised by how much dirt or grime can accumulate in your carpet without you noticing.
Removing clutter
If you tend to be the kind of person that accumulates a lot of things and have tons of furniture in your home, it may be a good idea to remove some items to simplify the space for the open house. Again, this allows prospective homebuyers to imagine their own furniture in the rooms and can make the home appear more spacious.