Real-estate experts say your best bet is to invest a little sweat equity into a series of small weekend job that boost your home's appeal and eliminate buyers' biggest objections.
Here are 10 quick ways to add value to your home without doing major renovations.
1. DE-CLUTTER. De-cluttering should be the first job sellers cross off their list before starting any other project, agents and real-estate investors say. it's important to let the buyer a chance to see their furniture in your house. Ask a friend (who won't mind offending you) to walk through your house and give it to you straight. What is distracting? What needs to go?
Figure out a way to get your clothes, books, appliances, papers, toys, art and photos under control. Shoving everything into cabinets, closets and the garage is not the answer.
2. CABINET MAKEOVER. The kitchen is the most important room in the house to get right. You don't need to get your cabinets refaced or replaced to make them look presentable. If they're scratched or look dated, just spring for a couple of cans of paint and put a new finish on them. White and other light neutral colors work best for most kitchens and bathrooms. Choose simple and relatively modern hardware for the pulls, preferably in a brushed nickel. Steer clear of brass, brightly colored glass or anything decorated with pictures of birds or flowers.
3. PATCH & PAINT. A fresh coat of paint in the living room, kitchen and master bathroom — the most important rooms in the house will pay big dividends. Just make sure you stick to neutrals. Don't experiment with bright colors, and stay away from anything too dark that will make the room look small.
4. CURB APPEAL. One quick way to entice more buyers into your house is to spruce up what they see from the street. Spend a weekend cleaning or replacing your mailbox, putting up new street numbers that match the style of your house, cleaning your storm door and windows and touching up chipped paint on your front door.
Take a good hard look at your landscaping and trim back any shrubs around the front that are unruly. Get rid of lawn ornaments, toys, leaves and other debris from the yard, as well as those tools or construction materials propped against a fence. A tidy front yard makes buyers more willing to come inside for a look.
5. LIGHTING. You don't have to go crazy here. Just replace anything damaged, dated or distracting. Get rid of that Hollywood dressing-room-style lighting that frames your bathroom mirror, or at the very least, replace all of the bulbs.
Replace any tacky low hanging chandeliers with simple pendants or even flush mount ceiling fixtures.
And consider replacing the light bulbs you have in your darker rooms with a higher wattage, just for the time you'll be showing your house.
6. FLOORS. Every buyer will have their preference. So settle for a floor that looks spic and span. If you have very dirty carpet, rent a steam machine and get out the stains. If you have hardwoods, buff and polish them.
7. STAGE IT. Once your house has been cleaned, patched and painted, it's time to think about the best way to show it off.
In the bathroom, that means replacing your old shower curtain with a new model that is lined and made of fabric. Get fresh bath mats and add a fresh roll of toilet paper. Make sure your towels are fresh and new and on a presentable and simply designed rack. Clear the counters and make sure accessories such as the toothbrush holder or soap dish are coordinated and look elegant.
In the bedroom, consider your comforter. Is it stained, ripped or dated? If so, consider buying a new duvet cover or spread to keep the focus on the room, not your questionable taste.
And take a good hard look at your window treatments. Keep it light, bright and simple. Tie back dark or flouncy curtains, or replace them with pre-made panels.
8. EXTRA ROOMS. Most people are willing to pay a premium for a little more breathing room. Organize your garage or basement to show their potential space.
Organize the tools, sporting goods and other items in your garage and get them off the floor, as much as possible. Make sure there's adequate lighting and clean or polish the floors. You want it to be a space where people can imagine spending hours tinkering on some craft project.
9. FIX IT NOW. Instead of spreading out those annoying minor repairs over several months or a year, why not take care of them all at one time?
When you show your house, little problems such as a leaky faucet or a cabinet that sticks can be distracting and may grow to become additional concerns. So make a list and invest a not-so-fun 48 hours in fixing those broken drawer slides, replacing moldy caulking around the bathtub and fixing that cracked tile or broken step leading down to the basement.
10. HARDWARE. Replace old, yellowing or brass switch-plate covers with new ones made of brushed metal. Likewise, swap out old brass doorknobs and hinges and replace them with something more up-to-date.
excerpt from Melinda Fulmer of MSN Real Estate
