Fall and winter can be the perfect time to buckle down on home improvement projects, especially if you are planning on selling your home in the spring. Brian Marcus, a Maple Grove RE/MAX Results real estate agent with 13 years of experience, offers his professional advice on the best and worst home improvement projects. He considers the angle of selling in the near future, but homeowners who are staying put can still gain insight on future home changes.
“Normally, in my practice, we are not looking to provide advice to sellers to spend a lot of money,” Marcus says, adding that if he were a homeowner looking to sell, he would first consult with a Realtor or a professional stager to determine priorities in home upgrades, updates and changes. Apart from the stager recommendation, Marcus offers five more suggestions of smart ways to update your home and five projects you may want to avoid.
5 Inexpensive Home Improvements Buyers Will Notice:
1) New paint livens up the space. “There’s not one other change that can have the same impact dollar for dollar,” Marcus says. “It’s the cheapest thing you can do in updating and modernizing your home.” Neutral colors are recommended. If you need tips for deciding on a paint color, bring in a designer who specializes in colors. Consultations with a stager usually run $150–$200; the fee is often covered by the Realtor.
2) Replace dated lighting fixtures such as hallway lights, bathroom vanity lights, chandeliers, kitchen lighting, etc. If you have gold fixtures, updating to a brush nickel or oil rubbed bronze will give a fresh look for relatively low cost.
3) Kitchens are a big selling point with houses, but they can be expensive to update. Marcus highlights little things that can make a difference: Instead of replacing cabinets, update only the knobs or pulls or spruce up a dull or dated kitchen with a colorful backsplash.
4) To freshen up a bathroom on a budget, think little things. Replace pulls and knobs or update grout and make sure you have a clean line of caulking around the tub.
5) Replace the interior doors with six- panel doors to give the home an updated feel. If you like the present door, consider updating the hardware.
5 Project Ideas You May Want To Rethink:
1) “What I personally don’t do with regards to bathrooms is to start gutting a whole bathroom,” Marcus says. Sure, bathrooms sell houses, but they can break the bank if you are not mindful with plans. If you don’t like the tub, see if you can “adjust” it. There are companies such as Tub Medic that alter the color of tubs, sinks, etc.
2) While granite countertops may be desirable to buyers, they will cost you a pretty penny to install and it is money you will not recoup. “People love them, but you have to understand you are not getting that money back,” Marcus says. “It is just simply helping move the home.”
3) Marcus is a fan of closet organizers but doesn’t see the resale value: “If you are installing them just to resell the house, I think your money is better placed in other spots.” Homeowners who install them only recoup 50–57 percent of the cost.
4) Avoid adding any additions. Save the additions for the house you plan on living in, not selling.
5) Choose projects that have visible results. “You want to do things you will get credit for when you are selling,” Marcus says. For example, updating the insulation in your attic will not be a project that buyers can see. The change is not tangible and therefore may be less critical.
With endless home project possibilities, prepping your house for resale takes a lot of work. “You are not selling a toaster,” Marcus says. “But if you follow the direction of the staging consultant and the Realtor, great things are going to happen. The direct effort you put into getting your home prepared for sale is the direct result you get out of it.”
