How to Boost The Value of Your Home

So you're thinking of selling your home. There are so many factors that can affect the value of your home, and a lot of them are things you have no control over: the neighborhood, the schools and the market itself, just to name a few. But there are just as many things that you do have control over. There are countless ways to increase the value of your home, some more effective than others, some more costly and some less. Here are just a few factors that you can control that will have a positive effect on the value of your home.

Furniture

Something as simple as the right staging can seriously boost a home's appeal with minimal cost to you, particularly when you're using your own furniture. If you're thinking of putting your home on the market, the right staging can show potential buyers what that home can be under the right circumstances. Good staging can highlight the best features of your home, while bad staging can have just as much of an impact in the opposite direction. Remember: many interior designers do house staging, and there are even furniture packages for landlords if you're looking to rent rather than sell and want the option of renting a place already furnished.

Replace Some Appliances

Replacing certain appliances can also boost the value of your home significantly. The appliances that are prime candidates for replacing are the ones that most often convey with the house, such as the refrigerator, oven, microwave, washer and dryer. This can be particularly effective in highly visible rooms like the kitchen, but it can also be costly if you aren't careful.

New Carpet, Fresh Paint

If you don't replace the carpet and put on a fresh coat of paint, you're asking for the buyer to use that as a bargaining chip to bring the price down. With the right contractors, this is a relatively quick and easy change that instantly makes your house look better, no matter what you do. Obviously you'll want to choose harmonious and inoffensive colors for both the paint and the carpet, but as a general rule, putting down new carpet and repainting the walls is a no-brainer and an instant boost to the value of your home.

Update Kitchens and Bathrooms

As previously mentioned, the kitchen is a highly visible space that can have a huge impact on buyers, both positively and negatively. Updated kitchens and bathrooms are a common feature of flipped houses, but it's worth noting that these can go either way. Old kitchens and bathrooms, like old carpets, are bargaining cops to potential buyers, but an updated kitchen or bathroom that isn't to the customer's taste might drive them completely away. Exercise caution with updates in these areas.

Upgrade Security Features

Security features like improved doors are a common update, particularly for older houses. A new, more secure front door is one of the most common and most reliable ways to amp up your curb appeal and instantly as value to your home, since it's both a concrete, useful investment and a quick way to create a good first impression.

Roof and Windows

A new roof and new windows are probably the most expensive item on this list, but they're also going to add the most value. If nothing else, replacing the topic and windows is going to prevent buyers from using the need for a new roof and new windows as a bargaining chip to drive the price down.

When you're thinking of selling a home, there are a lot of changes that will add value to that home. Any one improvement by itself might not make a huge impact, but the sum of all these changes can be tremendous. With all this in mind, be aware of the market you're selling for: some markets don't want a fully cleaned up and spruced up home. Sometimes a fixer-upper will sell better and faster than a completed, polished home.