5 Top Improvements That Increase Your Homes Sale Value

A recent survey of Realtors by “HomeGain”, listed five home improvements generally recommended to help increase home value. Another benefit of following through on these recommendations is the home increases in desirability and will sell faster with less issues arising in the process to the close.

In order of ranking:

1)Cleaning & decluttering. Costs begin at from sweat equity or around $200, but can escalate depending on details. For example, is the home owner hiring a cleaning crew, storage or storage pod rentals? Expected return is an addition of approximately $1,700 to the home’s sale price, this may not sound like much...but if you also add in the value of a faster sale and any savings that come as a result, the effort and costs involved are worth while.

2)Home Staging. Prices vary dependent on the level of service provided by the stagers. Starting rates generally range around $200 for initial consultation, and can rise from there dependent on services rendered. Most staging companies will offer a basic service of evaluating the house and writing a report with recommendations,usually with photos or written diagrams, explaining what the seller needs to do to provide an inviting environment to potential buyers. In extreme cases, home staging companies can offer a complete redecorating of a house if this is what the buyer wants. Home staging can increase the value of home by $2000.

3)Lightening and Brightening. Good Realtors recommend that homeowners illuminate and brighten up the spaces in their homes. Buyers are turned away by dark rooms and corners. Buying lamps or installing lighting in strategic places will make living space more inviting. Taking down dark blinds, or heavy curtains will all natural sunlight to stream in, giving a warm glow to the home. Costs can be as little as buying corner lamps, to hiring an electrician to install lights in rooms that are without. Home Value can increase from $1300and up.

4)Landscaping. The first glimpse of a home is the landscaping as buyers drive up to the house. Depending on what is needed, costs can be as little as planting flowers, bushes or trees to complete landscaping projects. The increase can be as much as $1500, if the house is nicely landscaped. With that in mind, plan accordingly and do as much as you can yourself.

5)Repairing Plumbing. This entails fixing the leaky faucets, tightening toilets to the floor, replacing shower heads among other things. Average costs are $350, for supplies or hiring in a handyman to do some of the jobs. The return expected is $1250, and a home inspection that will not get hung up on small details such as these, possibly jeopardizing the deal or delaying its close.

The market is currently highly competitive. The homes that sell the quickest are those that are sparkling clean with an inviting ambiance. If selling your home take a good hard look around to see what you can do to enhance and position your home for sale!