Home Updates that Pay for Themselves at Resale

The top 5 updates with the biggest bang for your buck come selling time.

So you’re thinking of making some home updates, but don’t know what will make the biggest impact for resale? Home updates are always a positive thing to do, whether just for your personal enjoyment or if you have resale in mind. Here are 5 home updates that make the biggest impact for the money when it’s time to sell.

kitchen updates

The kitchen really is the heart of the home, and it’s where we spend so much of our time. If there is something really sticking out to you in your current kitchen, that will be the thing to upgrade for resale. Buyers love to see custom cabinets and hard top countertops. Even if you’re not looking for a complete gutting and renovation of your kitchen, something as simple as changing the hardware or a new faucet/sink can make a big impact!

Doors

We're talking both front doors and garage doors (especially if they are on the face of the home). This is, quite literally, the first thing a potential buyer will walk through when touring your home. If your front door is old, chipping, or difficult to open and shut, consider replacing or repainting. Garage doors are a huge part of your curb-appeal, and reusing your existing garage door opener will save you some money. Remodeling.HW.net notes that most garage doors pay for themselves at resale.

Finishing area/adding bedroom

This one is big. If you have an unfinished area of your ho

me, such as a basement, finishing it with drywall, flooring, paint, and making it “living area” will drastically help your home’s value. Finished area also means that it is heated and cooled appropriately. Lots of folks may not know that when listing your home, there is a difference in total square footage and living area. There is much more stock in (and price per square foot usually comes from) the livable square footage. Turning even just PART of your unfinished areas into usable space (say, another bedroom?) can draw in more potential buyers.

Curb appeal

Lawn and flower bed maintenance is a very afford

able way to give the front of your home a facelift. Keeping the lawn mowed and pruning/trimming bushes is an easy fix, but also consider adding new mulch to flower beds to really make it appealing to buyers. Remember, the less that they see needs done to the home, the more they are willing to pay top-dollar.

Stone veneer

In researching for this blog post, one suggestion that I kept seeing make the best return was adding some stone veneer to the exterior of your home. Adding just a touch of rock or brick really turns up that curb appeal and elevates the front of the home. Consider rocking the

bottom of front porch posts or even just around the front door.

✨Honorable Mentions✨

While these did not prove to be top suggestions considering the price of the update, I wanted to add 2 things that I have witnessed buyers swoon over or cringe over when showing homes: flooring and light fixtures.

If you have older carpet, really consider replacing with hardwood, vinyl plank, or another hard surface flooring. If wooden floors are chipped/rotting, refinishing them will make a huge difference in the home.

Light fixtures are, most of the time, an easy project for a buyer to tackle after moving in. However, I have seen buyers really love or hate the lighting in a home, and having less for them to work on upon move-in helps your home sell for more. Let's be clear-- you do NOT have to go splurge and replace every light fixture in your home. Check them all out to see if nay are loose from the wall, damaged, or extremely old. Replace as needed and it will make a great impression on your potential buyers.

There are a million updates you could make in preparation to sell! Get creative and make a list of what your top priorities are. I suggest going from cheapest update to most expensive and weighing the pros of each update with how much you think it will help your home's value.

If you need help knowing what to do next on your home before selling, contact me here. I'll help you prioritize those updates and find the value of your home as-is, vs. with your improvements!