REAL LIFE

BY MOLLY NICHOLAS

Affordable Renovations that Make a Difference

Selling your home can be challenging—not only are you parting with a place that you call home, but you're also hoping that someone loves it as much as you do. On top of all that, it can also be financially draining and work-intensive to get it “market ready.”

It will be good news to most hearing you don't have to make big, expensive changes to your home in order to encourage higher offers. The secret is turning your home into a blank slate so that prospective buyers can see what their own vision would look like. Most buyers will positively react to a fresh, clean house. Making a good first impression is important. This is easily done by removing clutter, and updating a few dated features. Here are a few simple recommendations to help sell your house for the highest price in the shortest amount of time.

Start with Landscaping — Curb appeal is extremely important. Painting the front door is one way to add appeal but it isn't the only thing you can do. Some simple accents can make a house seem so much more inviting. Grasses, wildflowers, and herbs can be an inviting change to the typical lawns that require upkeep. Adding mulch, rocks or ground cover will add dimension and color to existing landscaping.

Remember, First Impression is the Entry — The entrance will set the tone for what follows, so you want it to represent the style or mood that translates throughout the rest of the house. Whatever you see when you first walk in the door should be stunning. If you have a dated light fixture in there, change it to something simple and discreet.

Establish Your Style — Moving between many decorating themes can be disorienting, so reduce the variety as much as possible. Rugs are an easy way to ease the transition between two spaces, matching them throughout the house will add continuity between spaces. Other inexpensive changes include replacing curtains with blinds and painting a neutral color throughout.

Neutralize — Personal touches are what make a house a home, but they can disrupt the buyer's vision of what theirs would look like. It is important for buyers to be able to envision their style in the house. It should be easily relatable to a lot of people. High baseboards can make the walls appear taller and ceiling medallions can easily give a room some charm. Again, the importance of a “blank slate” or neutral color can not be emphasized enough.

Make Temporary Changes — While you don't want to go too crazy with changes, adding a few well-placed details can help spark the imagination of buyers. Peel-and-stick vinyl tiles are inexpensive and easy to install within a matter of hours. They are versatile enough not only to be used as flooring, but also as a kitchen backsplash or to give a bathroom some layers. They are also easily removed if the buyer is planning their own remodel.

“Finish” Strong — It's amazing how a few simple finishes will add appeal. Often listings with a few updated features such as faucets, and light fixtures sell higher than ones without because finishing touches are so important. Sleek faucets and plain matte finish light fixtures appeal to buyers. For the same reason, consider replacing plastic wall plates and cabinet hardware. It will add an updated feel and cleans up the look of the house. Lastly, inexpensive shutters added to the exterior often make a huge difference in curb appeal.

Although each of these recommendations is important, it must be combined with competent and competitive pricing. Unlike many online resources, local Realtors are experts at comparing recent sales in the area. They not only have the computer resources but have laid eyes on recently sold properties which is a real benefit to landing the best price for a quick sale.