6 Things to Know about Increasing Your Home's Value
Thinking about putting your home on the market? Whether you're planning a move just a few months down the road, or you're planning for the farther future, you need to make sure that your home is as appealing as possible. That means knowing a few things about increasing your home's value. Thankfully, you don't necessarily need to invest tens of thousands of dollars in renovations to do that. A few simple steps may do the trick. Here are six things you should know about increasing the value of your home.
Get a Professional Opinion
One of the most important considerations to increasing your home's value is this – get the opinion of a professional. This is particularly important if you'll be putting the home on the market soon, but even those selling down the road can benefit from the opinions of an experienced realtor. A seasoned real estate professional can point out problem areas, strengths to highlight, key changes that need to be made, and more.
Have a Home Inspection
If it's been years since you moved into your home, chances are things have deteriorated beneath the surface. These can come to light when a potential buyer has a home inspection. The key to avoiding that? Pay for your own inspection ahead of time. Home inspectors will tackle big things, like your HVAC system and ductwork, roofing substructure, and more. Then, you can take informed action with this information in hand.
Slap a New Coat of Paint on It
If your home is in good overall condition and doesn’t need any major updates, one of the simplest ways to of increasing your home value is to paint it. Give some careful thought to the color of each room, and get a little creative (but not too creative, or you may drive buyers away). You should also consider painting the exterior of your home, or investing in vinyl siding that doesn’t need paint.
Trees Make a Difference
Today, more and more people want to purchase homes where they can spend time not only indoors, but relaxing outdoors. That means more than just having lots of lawn. It means having the right features to maximize comfort while they’re outdoors. Yes, decks and patios fall into that, but you don’t need to think that big. Planting a few strategic trees throughout the back yard can make a big difference for a potential buyer who's comparing your home to a similar one a few blocks over.
Cut Yard Maintenance Needs
While we all want to spend more time out of doors in our yards, we don’t necessarily want that time to be taken up by maintenance tasks (mowing, weed trimming, etc.). You can go about increasing your home value by reducing your yard's maintenance needs. For instance, drought-tolerant shrubs, and slow growing bushes make for less work and more time to relax outdoors. Instead of planting those bushes right along the edge of the home, opt for containers so there's less need for weeding and trimming. You get the picture.
Invest in Bathroom Updates
As a final tip on increasing your home value, consider investing in modest bathroom updates. This is particularly important for smaller bathrooms. You don't need to rip out your tub necessarily, though. Get rid of dated wallpaper, and invest in a modern toilet, or replace old light fixtures with something newer.
There you have them – six tips to help with increasing your home value. With a little creativity, you can probably find many more cost-effective, simple ways to boost value and appeal, and ensure that you get the most money possible for your home.
