Whenever you sell your home, you hope to list it at a higher price than what you bought it for. After making some improvements to the property over the years you’ve lived there and watched the neighborhood grow, many homeowners’ goal is to make a profit on their investment.
Even though your home’s value rose naturally, there are a few things you can do to ensure the value increases. A year or two before you decide to put your home on the market, spend some time investing in the property and making these upgrades to ensure you get a higher price for it.
1. Upgrade the Kitchen and Bathrooms
A move-in ready home is likely to sell faster and sell for much more than a property that needs some updating and work. So, before you list your home, make sure to upgrade the kitchen and bathrooms, so they look modern and are in line with the current trends.
This means getting newer appliances, updating the counters, and pulling out those old cabinets from decades ago. In the bathrooms, replace the toilet and sink fixtures if they look dated. Pay attention to the shower or bathtub and floors as well.
2. Enhance Curb Appeal
It isn’t just what’s inside your home that matters to homebuyers. The exterior is also very important. This is known as curb appeal. When the outside of your home looks well-maintained and pretty, you can ask for a higher price when you sell it.
So, if you have some loose bricks on your sidewalk, stains on the outside of the house, or need to do some weeding in the garden, make sure to get on those tasks. You may need some professional help from companies like Brickworks Property Restoration to help you enhance your curb appeal.
3. Go Green with Energy Efficient Features
It’s more important than ever to be eco-friendly and do everything in our power to reduce our carbon footprint. One way to do this (and increase your home’s value) is with energy-efficient features and appliances.
Newer kitchen appliances are usually already very eco-friendly. For example, dishwashers and washing machines use much less water than they used to decades ago. You can also opt for LED lightbulbs throughout the house.
These simple changes can make such a huge difference in the energy bill and are appealing to homebuyers when you finally list your property.
4. Increase the Square Footage
If possible, making your home bigger can greatly increase your home’s value. Adding an addition to your home can make the price tag skyrocket.
For example, if you live in a rancher, you can add a second story to your home and practically double the value. Or you can add an in-law suite off the back of the house.
Many homebuyers are searching for comfortable homes where they can grow their families, entertain guests, host holidays, and simply have space to make their own.
5. Finish the Basement
Maybe making your home bigger isn’t really in the cards. So, one way to make your home feel bigger is to finish the basement and make it an additional living area or even add an extra bedroom.
The basement has so much potential, simply leaving it as a cold, dark storage space is a waste of space! Add some carpeting, drywall, and build separate rooms to make the basement feel like a natural addition to the house.
You can even add another bathroom or a kitchenette for those who like to entertain guests.
6. Add a Home Office
It looks like remote work is here to stay. It’s truly the future of the workforce and almost every industry. So, having a home office is now a necessity for many people.
Adding a home office to your house if you don’t already have one will increase its value and make it even more attractive to homebuyers.
Just think about how uncomfortable it is to have your computer set up on the kitchen table, only to have to move it every night for dinner. With a home office, you can set up your workspace comfortably and have a quiet space to attend meetings without distraction.
7. Incorporate Smart Technology
Technology gets better and better with each passing year. It’s now entered our homes and become part of our everyday routines. To increase your home’s value, incorporate some smart home technology.
For example, you can add Bluetooth speakers to the kitchen and master bathroom or install a Ring doorbell. Keyless entry is also becoming very popular, especially for those who tend to forget their keys at home when they go out.
When a home has smart features, homebuyers tend to be more excited and in awe of the property, therefore giving the impression that its value is much higher than other properties on the market.
