Even if you plan on remaining in your home for several more years, investing in it can make it easier to sell when the time comes. Being smart about your upgrades can help you sell your home for more than market value. The trick is to find updates that fit what buyers are looking for.
Incorporating a Home Elevator
For buyers who are looking to spend many years in their homes, features that make it easy to use all your levels can be attractive. And adding an elevator can make the house more accessible for everyone, which is a feature that buyers also look for. You can add a residential elevator like this one from Stiltz to improve accessibility and property value.
Adding Landscaping
The way your home looks on the outside can make or break a buyer’s impression of it. If the yard looks poorly maintained, a buyer may think the rest of the house is falling apart with it. You can complete landscaping yourself by removing dead plants and trimming back overgrown bushes or trees. Mow and weed the lawn regularly and toss more seed down in places that look bare. You can also define the space using edging. If it’s been a while since you put more mulch in the beds, consider doing so now. You can also add a few bright plants in areas that look a little bare.
Replacing the Lighting
While updating the lighting in your house is not a large investment, it can be a simple way to update things. As you look at your options, make sure the colors are consistent with each other and the existing hardware. If you have silver-toned door handles and cabinet knobs, you may want to avoid gold lighting fixtures unless you are planning on replacing the hardware. Know that brass can look dated since it was popular a few decades ago. Know that less is more too. If you have extremely large fixtures, you don’t need something equally fancy to replace them. In fact, large chandeliers can look dated and take over a space, making it look smaller.
Updating the Flooring
Replacing the flooring can be a good option if you have several types of flooring around the house. Investing in new flooring can give you a more seamless look, allowing one room to blend into the next. Consider replacing the carpet with tile or hardwood since old carpeting can look worn. If you will be selling it soon, you could also simply replace the existing carpet. You can often find deals on flooring styles that are a few years old and are no longer made, which can make this less expensive. If you feel like you can’t upgrade at all, consider having the existing floor cleaned professionally. If the hardwood floors have some discolored or worn areas, you might be able to use a matching, water-based stain to fix them yourself so they are not as noticeable. You can even use area rugs to cover worn parts of the carpet or hardwood floors.
