Five Home Improvements


Is the house you are selling in need of a little help? Are you willing to do a few Mr. Fix-It projects to get fabulous returns on the value of your house? These five home improvement projects are the most profitable. Buyers value them. They increase the value of the home significantly and are recommended highly by Realtors and brokers.

1. Cleanup The Yard
The landscaping of your home is the first thing a potential buyer sees when they approach your home. Take some time to clear out all the personal items and debris like lawn clippings and fallen leaves. In the spring and summer, hire a professional landscaper or gardener. The lush texture and precise appearance of a professionally maintained yard present the home you are selling like a well-wrapped present. Likewise, let a professional see your trees, edging plants, flowers, and shrubs. A few dots of colorful flowers or a crisp line of hedges will give your home more curb appeal and a distinctive look that will bring buyers by in flocks.

If you are selling in the winter, keep your walkways clear of snow and ice for appearance, convenience, and safety. Many landscapers take care of snow removal in the winter, if you aren’t up to the heavy chore of shoveling and salting the sidewalk every few days. If you have children, confine their snow games to the backyard to preserve the look of fresh even snow from the curb.

2. Update the Bathroom
The cost of remodeling an out-of-date bathroom is frequently too high for a seller’s project, but the look of a bathroom can be updated with much smaller projects. New fixtures on sinks, tubs, and showers are an inexpensive way to change the look of an older room. Fresh, neutral paint will make the room seem newer, and a stylish shower curtain can hide a multitude of tub troubles. If your tub, toilet, or sink is chipped, take the time to repair the porcelain. These repair kits can be found in the paint or fixture departments at your local hardware store and rarely cost more than fifteen dollars. Make sure you choose the right color because the ivory repair color on a white bathroom sink really will stand out.

3. Update the Kitchen
Much like updating the bathroom, updating the kitchen can seriously aid the home-selling process of your home. If new kitchen appliances aren’t in the budget, be sure to repair any chips and dings in the old ones. Replace the kitchen drip bowls on your electric range with shiny new ones, and invest in foil drip bowl liners to keep the new drip bowls looking nice. While you are making changes to your traditional electric range, a set of burner plates is another Moving Made Easyinexpensive kitchen improvement. These smooth black plates completely cover your coil burners for even heat distribution and easier cleanup. They aren’t quite as nice a flat surface range, but they are a step in the correct direction.

4. Freshen Up Walls and Ceilings
Walk through your home and carefully seek out any dents, dings, scuffs, or stains on your walls. Be specific. Pull the furniture to the center of the room and spend an hour staring at the ceiling. A fresh coat of paint in a neutral color will make your home seem newer and cleaner and takes surprisingly little time to complete. Be sure to look for water stains on the ceiling as well. For your buying or selling preparation, choose white, ivory, or other light neutral colors, but keep the style in mind. Accent walls that may normally be boldly colored still create stunning statements when painted in soft, neutral tones.

When you are choosing your new paint, don’t forget to take the finish of the paint into account. Flat and extra paint is excellent on ceilings because it actually has mild sound-dampening properties. Only use flat paint on the walls of rooms that are meant to be very formal or decorative. The finish of flat paints is the most fragile and doesn’t stand up well under day-to-day living. Satin finishes are the best for living areas because they are soft enough to look nice but still give a washable surface. For wet rooms, like the kitchen and bathroom, use semi-gloss paint. The finish will give you enough durability for the dampness and a fully scrubable surface to resist stains.

5. Check Out Flooring Options
The only surface that buyers see as often as the walls are the floor. Carpet is replaced in almost half of the newly purchased homes, so try to avoid re-carpeting the home you are trying to sell. Instead have all carpets professionally shampooed to remove stains and odors. Then take a very close look are your hard floors. Do you have linoleum, vinyl, or tile? How does it look? Some tile and vinyl floors can be buffed to make them look new, but more often need to be replaced once they start to look bad. Cost-effective options can replace vinyl and tile in many situations. Laminate floors are easier to care for, stylish, and much less expensive than real hardwood. Real hardwood floors, on the other hand, can be refinished with so much success the floor will look new, even to you! Your home is ready to go!

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