Interior Impressions: The Kitchen and the Bathrooms
The two biggest selling points in a home are the kitchen and the bathrooms. But if you are going to sell your home thru a realtor, get his or her advice before shelling out $30,000 on kitchen and bathroom upgrades.
Sometimes it is well worth it to get a home equity loan to do this upgrade before selling. However,
...if you are a do-it-yourself person, then you already know the value of upgrading an old kitchen and bathroom. Since you will do the work yourself, then it's a "no-brainer" to go ahead with the upgrade. Because a $30,000 job can be cut to $15,000 or less, depending on the appliances and fixtures you select.
But aside from major repairs and upgrades, there are many inexpensive things you can easily do to improve the value of your home, while giving the buyer what he or she is looking for:
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Paint, fresh paint. It is the best way to give a fresh look to a room. Go for neutral colors. If you have a bright pink room and the buyer only has boys, they are going to be turned off by the pink factor. Invest in a few gallons of paint. Look for neutral tones that are soft and warm. These will help not only to give it a more neutral look, but it will also create a cozy living area.
- Small updates help: Get rid of the old seventies style ceiling fan. Pull down the décor that is outdated. Fix up small broken things like closet doors, holes in the walls and broken light fixtures. These little things are instant, “Oh, its broken” things that the buyer is going to remember.
- Carpeting should be kept clean and in good repair. Fix anything that you can. If the carpet is very bad, consider replacing it, even with an inexpensive product.
- Fix anything that is unsafe.
- Remove clutter. Consider renting a storage facility (per "Your Home's First Impression" page.)
- Clean your fireplace.
- Get rid of any smells.
- Make sure that doors, windows, cabinets, baseboards and flooring are clean and in good repair.
Doing these things can help you in selling a home fast. If you can improve the impression of the buyer, he may just come back next time with an offer in hand.
Now let's go over the best time to sell your home...
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