Randy Dickson

Tips

 

 7 ways to add value to your home in a single weekend!

Are you short on cash but ready to renovate? Think about new door handles, not new doors, think nice appliance fronts, not new appliances.

If your getting ready to sell and your home needs a cheap(er) makeover? I have got 7 simple ways to make that happen. 
 
1. Kitchen- The kitchen is considered the heart of the home and you want potential buyers make a beeline for this room when they first view the home, so make sure your kitchen looks clean and updated.
For just a few hundred dollars, you can replace the kitchen faucet, add new cabinet door handles, update old lighting fixtures with brighter, more energy-efficient ones and give a new look to your cabinets with a fresh coat of paint.
If you have larger budget, you can give the cabinets a makeover. Re-facing cabinets is great because the end result is a new look and its not expensive to do.
If you’re handy, you can order replacement cabinet doors and door fronts, you can get these from retailers like Lowe’s or The Home Depot and install them yourself. 
You can give the appliances a facelift by ordering new doors or face panels for them if they don’t match. If you take the panel off the front of your dishwasher, most likely the panel is black on one side & white on the other. Flip it around, it will for sure make a difference in the look of the appliance.

2. Bathroom- Bathrooms are often the most important rooms to update. They can be improved without dishing out a lot of cash. Simple things like a new toilet and/or a new petestal sink make a big impact on the room and the value of the home and easy enough for you to do on your own.
Replace old ugly vinyl flooring with nice 12 x 12 ceramic flooring, cheap and really not hard to do.
If your tub and shower are looking nasty, consider re-grouting the tile and replacing any chipped tiles. For a more complete cover-up, get a prefabricated tub and shower surround. This may require some help from a professional installer but its still cheaper than paying to re-tile walls and refinish a worn tub.

3. Master Bedroom- This room is supposed to be a “master” for a reason. A warm paint color, new floors such as laminate(good laminate on the market these days), hardwood, or even a plush carpet would change the look of this space. Lighting in this space would make a big impact as well, a chandelier would polish off the look of the Master Suite.
People have busy lives these days, they need a room that they can retreat to. If you have the extra dollars in your pocket, add some crown mouldings, that would definately give this retreat the “WOW” factor.
 
4. Storage- People need storage. Old houses in particular are notorious for their lack of closet space. If you have cramped storage, add some do-it-yourself wire and laminate closet systems to bedrooms, pantries and entry closets.
Companies like ClosetMaid allow you to measure and re-design your closets online and you can also get design details and parts for these systems at many large home-improvement stores. Closets can be updated in a weekend or less.
At the end of the day, your closets will be more functional while you’re living in the house and will make your home look more customized to potential buyers. If you don’t have any closets at all, buying a sweet armoire would increase the space. But if you’re handy and have some dough, build yourself a closet with one wall, some screws & some drywall will go a long way.
Always think about using the space that you have to work with, use nice baskets, under the bed storage trundels, shelves on the walls.

5. Lighting- You need good lighting. If you have boring recessed lights in your dining and living rooms, replacing one of the room’s lights with a nice drop down pendant light, Home stores such as Home Depot offer a wide range of inexpensive, but nice-looking, ceiling fixtures these days. If you have a ceiling fan and light, you can also buy replacement fan blades to update the fixture’s look.

6. Paint- Paint color in a home is so important. No one wants to buy a house that’s lime green and orange. For one, it’s time consuming to prime over it and two, it changes the look of the house and buyers can’t see the potential in the house because they are distracted by the ugly paint color.
Always pick nice neutral colors for the main part of the home, and if the home is open concept be sure to have the same paint color, or a shade lighter/darker on all the walls, it will give the room a good flow. As for bedrooms, give them some warmth, everyone loves a cozy bedroom. Bathrooms, really, you can go either way. Whether warm, neutral or a cool color, they would all work this space. Anything other than bright colors.

7. Clean- Be sure your home is clean and de-cluttered from top to bottom. Nothing is worse than walking into a house that smells and is dirty. Some elbow grease, and some cleaning products go a long way.
Be sure that the outside of the house and tidy as well, that curb appeal is VERY important. Mow the lawn, plants some cheap new flowers, and sweep the walk way and presto, curb appeal. If the outside brick, siding etc, need cleaning, a pressure washer is a good investment, or you can even rent them from a home improvement store for a few dollars.
Another inportant thing when selling your home and increasing its value, is to make an impression on the potential buyers when they are coming through your home. To impress them, give attention to our four senses; smell, sight, hearing and touch.

For sense of smell, Place a piece of bread (sprinkled with cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, or cloves) into the oven on a low temperature for a few minutes or you can even place a few drops of vanilla on light bulbs and turn on all the lights prior to a showing.  REMEMBER, Buyers will always remember the lingering of garlic, onions and curry long after they have forgotten the color of the bedroom walls.
For sense of sight, visual enhancements can add color, warmth, texture and atmosphere to your home. Items such as colorful pillows, vases with flowers, plants, and attractive afghans help to provide the feeling of a bright and cheerful home. A word of caution, too many decorating items create a cluttered, crowded feeling. Neutral decorating tends to work best.
For sense of hearing, gentle background music can provide a relaxing atmosphere for the viewing. Find some “elevator music,” that is non-offensive and easy on the ears.
For sense of touch, Be sure that all high-traffic surfaces are clean and clutter free. it is not uncommon for a potential home buyer to run their hands over a bathroom sink, or a kitchen counter. When surfaces are clean and freshly disinfected, you create a cared for feeling.