In today's sluggish real estate market, selling your home can be a nightmare. Months or even years can drag by with your house on the market. But there is hope. Despite the slow economy, there are a number of ways you can boost your home's attractiveness to potential buyers. Your house will increase in value and sell faster, even in today's market!
The importance of curb appeal can never be overestimated when discussing home sales. The external appearance of your home frequently makes the difference between a buyer coming in to see the rest of the house and a buyer driving on by. Small changes like cutting back overgrown shrubs, weeding, and planting seasonal flowers cost little to nothing, but can make your home more attractive.
However, major outdoor improvements can really make your house look fabulous and sell fast. For instance, did you know that landscaping frequently provides up to 200% return on investment. So if you spend $5,000 on a new stone walkway and retaining wall, you can increase the value of your home up to $10,000! Not only will your house look great, it will make a stronger impression from the street, inviting potential buyers to come in, look around, and make an offer.
Inside your home, there are also several options for sprucing things up to make the house sell fast. Many homeowners immediately turn to a kitchen remodel, but with the price of new appliances, this investment is often too large to recoup. Bathroom renovation, on the other hand, makes a big impact and costs much less. Updating an old-fashioned powder room or creating a luxurious master bath suite will give you the most bang for your buck; by concentrating on these key spaces instead of less significant areas like a kid's bathroom, you'll optimize your investment. Another fantastic way to enhance the interior look of your home is to install new flooring. Especially if a central part of your house, such as the entryway or kitchen, has dated, worn, or blasé flooring, you can make a huge impact by changing it out for a fresh floor. There are a number of economical flooring options on the market today to make a beautiful impression without breaking the bank. With laminates and prefinished wood flooring costing as little as $7 a square foot, you can create the glowing warmth of a hardwood floor at a fraction of the price. And, real estate research has shown that buyers heavily prefer wood floors to almost any other material.
Other external upgrades to consider include new siding or fresh paint. Especially if the old paint is chipped and peeling, a new professional paint job can make all the difference in the world. Even something as small as power washing your house or just repainting the front door can increase curb appeal.
Some of these changes may seem like an excessively large investment to make in a house you're trying to sell, but they're actually quite cost-effective. Because they enhance your home's appeal, they decrease selling time exponentially: meaning, that even if you don't recoup 100% of the investment, you're still coming out ahead. You've saved yourself the time, hassle, stress, and, yes, money of having your home on the market long term.
Even if you don't have the capital to invest in major home improvements, you can still influence how fast your home sells. Some of the tiniest changes can increase your home's appeal and make the difference between a potential buyer making an offer or walking away. For starters, keep your home neat and tidy, so buyers aren't assailed with dirty dishes and piles of laundry when they tour your house. Have your carpets professionally cleaned to make them look fresh and fluffy. Place fresh flowers on your table or create a seasonal decorative arrangement. Essentially, use your common sense to make your home as inviting as possible. Whether you choose to make a major home improvement investment or a minor one, you can influence how fast your home sells.