Remodeling Your Home For Resale for the Summer? Check These Tips Out

Here we are in the thick of selling season again. All of us Agents and Brokers in the business start getting very excited this time of year because this is when the market starts to really pick up. Whether people are taken by the season or they’re preparing for a fall and winter in a new home, buyers have consistently and statistically bought more in the summer months and the beginning fall months than any other season – except this 2012 year did start early!

For the buyers who are also trying to sell their home, there are plenty of ways to increase the value of your home before you put your home on the market. Many of these are cost effective and easily done, so read on and hopefully you will find some of these tips useful:

Don’t Invest in An Add-On Room, Just Invent One:

Rather than spending lots of money and time in hiring a contractor to add a nursery or small home office, paint a section of your bedroom, living room, dining room, etc. a different color, texture it differently or do some wallpaper to designate a separate “room”. The best nursery I saw in the parent’s bedroom was tucked right in the corner. The bedroom was painted a seafoam green, but their little boy’s corner with his crib was painted a blue that complemented the rest of the room well. Add in a throw rug and a lamp with side table to complete the ‘”room”. Another good one is to create a small home office in your living area. Don’t hire a contractor for a whole room, all you need is a carpenter to build you a ‘built in’ desk or get a one from IKEA that fits right in your living area.

Create More Than One Seating Area in Different Areas of the Home:

If you have an outdoor patio to work with, create a space that could easily be used as a dining area or barbeque area. If the landscaping won’t allow it, add in some slate flooring near your home where your new buyer can put in some patio furniture and possibly a few flower beds as well! Another great way to do this if you have a little more finances to work with, is to add in a deck or upstairs balcony. A deck off the living area or dining area is a fantastic opportunity to build value on the home. While it’s not as cheap as a little landscaping, this will add more value to your home.

Hire an Inspector:

Often times when buyers purchase a home they don’t think to hire an inspector until after the home is purchased. Why wait? Do it for them. Hire an inspector before you put your home on the market so if there are any repairs required before selling the home, these can be remedied before the home changes ownership. Offer a cleared inspection to the Buyer – I’ve done this numerous times with the homes I list and it saves them money and time but also assures them of a safe home. Or, if the problems are minor enough, simply disclose the issues with your prospects.

Work with What You Got:

As all of you are well aware, every home has a particular personality and history. This is your opportunity to expand on that! If your home is a cozy log cabin house with a kitchen that needs a remodel, marble may not be the best choice. Instead, go with granite and hard wood floors or a wood stove, it goes with the element of the home. Likewise, if your home is more modern than rustic then complement it with modern paint colors, wall papering or deco aesthetics.

Creative Cabinetry:

Out with the conventional, in with the creative! When you’re remodeling your kitchen, you may be able to cut corners on your cabinets. Rather than purchasing new ones and paying the labor costs of installing them, sand them down and paint them. There are some really creative ways to paint and design your cabinets so you barely recognize your own kitchen. Go antiquing and see if you can score some neat old looking matching knobs for your cabinets to add some flair. If you want a full new look, you could just buy new doors for your cabinets, not all new boxes.

Get Your Hands Dirty:

Invest in your garden or outdoor space. Planting a fruit producing tree such as a fig tree or lemon tree (does not take long for these two to start producing fruit) can add some serious appeal to your home. Another garden friendly addition is to install some flower beds. Whether or not it’s the season for planting foliage, there is always a huge appeal for a home that is garden ready. Or, if your home has little to no outside space to garden, add in potted plants instead. Succulents and hearty shrubs that produce flowers are a great way to appease the eye and add some life. Ferns on the porch are always a plus.

Add Some Built-in Storage:

If you have space in your living area or space under the stairs or just space, add in some built-in shelves or wardrobe with plenty of storage and glass doors to add some flair. Drawers always welcome! Creating space for storage is essential. Buyers want it and need it and this will sometimes be your selling factor. If your home has a walk-in or sizeable closet, build some drawers and/or shelves to create a more organized look. Same with a pantry; if you have something to work with, add more.

People Like Shiny:

If you’re selling your home now, now might be the time to update your faucets, countertops and/or flooring. Switching your older fixtures for some new shiny ones without scratches or imperfection is a great cost effective way to catch the eye. This is especially true if you also add in a shiny new granite countertop or shiny new hardwood floors. People like shiny, so take some time to add some shine. Check out granite coverings of original counters – they have these now and they could just be what you need to update to that “shiny” look.

Get Some New Lighting:

That dusty old fan and cracked light covering just won’t do! Take a trip out and get yourself some stylized light fixtures for ceilings and walls in your living area and bedrooms. This is a great way to spruce up a room and add some more aesthetics to catch the eye. Keep your home current! You can also add in some lighting over your kitchen counter to catch the light off your new countertops or appliances.

So whether you’re doing a remodel or are simply trying to raise the value on your home for future sale, these are some great ways to save a few pennies and still update your home for the market. I hope these were helpful and for more tips on remodeling your home and updates on the market, visit the rest of my blog on ActiveRain and check out our regularly updated, newly designed website listed below.