If you are thinking of selling your home in the future, you may want to consider doing some home improvement work to add value to your home. Even if you aren’t planning to put your home on the market any time soon, these home renovations are still sure to keep you comfy, stylish and ready for resale return at any time.
In The Home
As a general rule of thumb when it comes to renovating your home for resale, you want to clean, repair and/or replace the flooring in the entire home depending on its condition. Many people prefer hardwood flooring. You can check for any warping, stains or scratches. If you have carpet, you can get it professionally cleaned to remove any dirt and debris and have it looking almost new! If you are going to be painting or choosing a color palette for your home, including neutral colors is the way to go! You can always add your style while you live there but buyers want to be able to decide theirs when looking into a new home. Give your home an overall look around to see any areas on the walls that may need to be repaired or areas that need cleaning. You can also add a common buyer desire for technology, like a smart thermostat that can control your home’s temperature at the touch of a button. You can also make modifications to your home to make it appear more open concept/floor plan, another popular style for homes.
Kitchen
A kitchen is a key room for some households. Many families spend time cooking, eating and just enjoying quality time together. A minor update that can be done is sanding and painting the existing cabinets and drawers. You can also update your appliances. You can replace the oven, stovetop or sink. If you want to do a larger remodel, you can work through a design to make your kitchen feel bigger. Many buyers want a big kitchen, or at least for it to feel roomy. You can work to remove excess cabinets and counter space to make space for a popular amenity, an eat-in kitchen!
Living Room
The living room is another centerpiece in a household. In order to spark the buyer’s interest here, you should create a seating area around a feature you want them to notice. For example, you can have sofas around a coffee table that are slightly facing toward the fireplace. This creates the fireplace as the focal point and a key selling point. You can also update some of your home’s décor including crown molding and simple items like light switches. Even though you will take the window treatments down when you move out, staging for a potential buyer is important, therefore having window treatments that enhance your living room is important. For example, if you have low ceilings, you can create the illusion of height by positioning drapes and valances higher on the wall.
Bedroom
For the bedrooms, making small home improvements can go a long way. You want to be able to show off the space you have, especially in the primary bedroom. You can think about staging it to add character and to make it feel like a full-on suite instead of just another bedroom. You can also add light fixtures to brighten up the room. For example, adding a small chandelier in the primary bedroom adds class, beauty and an item to catch a potential buyer’s eye. You can also showcase the closet space by adding shelves or other forms of storage to them.
Bathroom
Bathrooms may not seem like a centerpiece in your home, but they are just as important to a potential buyer! To update your bathroom, you can start with removing any dated wall coverings. Once this is done, you can put a fresh coat of paint in there to transform the look and feel of your bathroom. For your tubs, you can recaulk them for a clean, smooth finish. Many people want a stand-up shower and/or stand-alone tub. You can renovate your bathroom to make this design become a reality. Some other major improvements that you could do are replacing the tiles, toilet, sink, vanity and light fixtures.
Bonus Room
Many homes have that one room that’s flexible in what it can be used for. You can have this staged for potential buyers as an extra bedroom or office space. You can add furniture like a desk and use tips from other areas, like adding flooring and lighting, to make potential buyers consider the possibilities of that room.
Basement
A basement is another area that may just seem like it is used for storage and all the systems that make your housework but many people use it for another living space. You can transform your basement by taking the step to finish it. Before doing so, make sure to fix any outstanding issues like flooding problems. With renovations, you can work on installing laminate flooring and adding an entertainment center. You can even add a wet bar or go full out with a countertop and fridge area. Putting in the work now to update your basement can add to your resale value in the future.
Exterior
When it comes to the exterior of the home, it’s like a first impression. This means that you should tidy, fix and/or replace parts of the exterior of your home. You can start with looking over your roof and siding that may need maintenance so a potential buyer feels more comfortable buying the home knowing that they will probably not have any major repairs to perform. You can also add some style to the front of your home and add resale value by adding stone veneer.
Doors
Another part of your home that can be repaired or replaced is your doors. This includes entry doors, garage doors and patio doors. Luckily, we can help! We offer a variety of patio doors that will have a lot of traffic in the summer. This includes hinged French, sliding, bifold and multi-slide patio doors. We can help you to pick the one that best fits your needs and matches your home so it’s ready for resale. Entry doors are also important in that they are another part of the first impression of the home. We offer wood, fiberglass and steel entry doors that each have their own unique features, but all are strong and have style. We have a variety of colors that you can choose from so you can have a pop of color to make your door stand out.
Windows
Windows are a feature on your home that are used for style and functionality. If you’re looking to sell or even just feel more comfortable in your home, repairing or replacing your windows is a great place to start. Potential buyers want to have windows that are going to last and have a style they can work with while having the functionality they need for the varying temperatures.
A feature that many potential buyers look for in a home is an energy-efficient window. At Pella, we offer Energy Star Certified windows that can help reduce your energy bill while providing comfort year-round. We have a low-emissivity (Low-E) glass coating that you can put in your windows that will reflect the heat back into your room to keep it warmer during the winter while in the summer, reflecting heat away from your home. This glass coating also blocks most of the sun’s UV rays that can cause your carpet, furniture, and window treatments to fade. Our windows also protect against leaks and drafts that can happen due to poor installation and insulation.
Lastly, our energy-efficient windows use multiple panes of glass and insulating argon gas to slow the transmission of heat or cold through a material, known as conduction. Along with being energy efficient, we offer a variety of styles, materials and colors that you can choose from for your windows.
Deck/Patio/Porch
A deck, patio or porch area is a great addition to your home that can add value. People want this space to hang out with family and friends while enjoying the outdoors. Many potential buyers look for wood decks that are pressure-treated with simple patterns. You can add one during your home improvement list or clean it if you already have one. Make sure that there are sturdy wood railings for safety reasons and because having no railing or iron railings on patio areas are reported to be less desirable to potential buyers. You can also add decorative planters to stage the area or camouflage your air conditioner units, so they don’t stick out and take away from your other landscape work.
Landscaping
Your yard is also an important part of your home. You can make several improvements to it to make it picture-perfect. You can start by trimming any overgrown plants and remove ones that are overwhelming the space. You can then go to your local garden center to pick out new plants for your landscaping. You can even see if they offer free designs, so you have a blueprint to go off of. When you arrange the plants, mix different heights and colors of plants to have a dramatic effect. You can also work on creating some sort of focal point. For example, you can create a walkway with some stones.
Home improvements can seem like a lot of time and effort, but they can enhance your home for you and have great resale value. Using some of the ideas above will help your home look, feel and function its best while it waits for the perfect buyer.