6 Things that Will Boost Your Home Resale Value

Many homeowners tend to get nervous when they hear the phrase “increase the resale value of your home by…”. Even the little things can mean a lot when it comes to attracting serious buyers. But how do you know what’s worth the time and money to tackle?

Here are a few suggestions to help get a better price if you’re looking to sell your home:

1. Say No to Clutter

It’s a simple rule among real estate agents, but sometimes not taken as seriously as it should be by homeowners. Potential buyers have a more difficult time visualizing themselves living in a new home that is filled with “other people’s stuff.”

Use this as an incentive to start packing your belongings up, rather than waiting until the week before moving day to start. Less is more when it comes to staging your home and increasing the resale value.

2. It’s the Kitchen that Counts

If you’re on a budget and can only afford a few upgrades, the kitchen is the place to spend that money.

Think about it: it’s the room where the majority of things happen for many families. It’s not just the area for cooking, it’s the place for kids to come home after school and get a snack, maybe do their homework.

It’s the area dinner guests often find themselves occupying during in-depth conversations. And it’s the place we all head when we’re having trouble sleeping.

8 out of 10 home buyers gravitate to the kitchen first.

3. The Almighty Curb Appeal

You’ve heard this a hundred of times. It’s the first thing house flipping TV shows talk about. And it’s the first thing prospective buyers see. It may be a cliche, but first impressions can make or break a sale.

Take your agent’s advise and clean up the yard, patch up the grass, plant some eye-catching shrubs or flowers. And if your house is older, consider a fresh coat of paint to spruce it up.

Anything that gives people an “Oh, wow. Look at that!” moment is worth the investment.

4. Get Smart to Increase Resale Value

In our technology-infused world, having smart-home features already installed in your home is a huge selling point.

In fact, if it comes down to two houses that are very similar in look and price, buyers tend to choose the home that has smart features. Sometimes the cool, nifty toys can sway a buyer in your direction.

5. Eco-friendly

Are there low E-coatings on your windows? Do you know your insulation’s R-value?

Time to find out. That’s because one of the hottest buzzwords for home shoppers is energy-efficiency. Especially among millennials — who are now the largest sector of people shopping for homes.

The items that seem to impress buyers the most include LED lighting, high-efficiency windows, solar panels, and newer model water heaters. Energy-star rated appliances are also big sellers.

To find out how efficient your home really is you can book a home energy assessment. A certified energy advisor conducts an energy audit on your home, then offers recommendations for improving efficiency.

6. Paint It Picture Perfect

There’s a reason that ad agencies and marketing firms pay so much attention to the colours they use in their ads. Colour elicits emotional responses. Colours can create feelings of warmth and happiness or cause adverse reactions.

A fresh coat of trendy colour may seem like a simple do-it-yourself job, but if you have a lot of rooms to paint (and the exterior needs to be freshened up), realtors suggest this is an area to outsource. A shoddy paint job is noticeable right away and detracts from the overall appeal of a home.

Choose Change Wisely

Today’s housing market is very competitive. Although there’s no need to do a complete overhaul, offering a home that is move-in ready attracts serious buyers.

Simple improvements like updating out-of-style fixtures and painting over dull, dirty, or overly bright rooms make a home look more attractive. The bottom line is to choose wisely when considering which projects are important.