Every homeowner wants to get the best possible price when looking to sell, but it can be troubling when trying to determine where to put your money to get the best return, do we replace the flooring, add new carpets, replace the kitchen or bathroom or simply just spruce up the decor? It’s a difficult task for most, which is why we’d always recommend taking the advice of an estate agent who knows all the ins and outs when it comes to property and the buyer’s market. They can help sellers to make the right decisions when it comes to spending for re-sale purposes.
You may assume that rigging out a home with all the mod-cons will offer the best return, but not necessarily, homes are valued with many things taken into consideration, sometimes the area will have a specific cut-off point and if your home renovations are on the pricey side but you’re in the wrong area it could leave buyers out of pocket!
Here are the basics when it comes to home updates, most buyers will look for these certain aspects and expect them as standard or else try to knock the price the down, so before you find yourself faced with this situation, pay close attention to these areas first.
First good impressions!
Before anything else, ensure the home is inviting enough to want to make buyers move beyond the appearance of the front door because you’d be surprised how many turn their backs when they don’t like the look of the front! You could have a hidden gem inside that home, but if buyers are put off by the outside, they won’t move beyond it!
Clean up the kerb, tackle the front lawn, plant some inviting, colourful flowers, place some pots around, jet wash the drive and paint the garage doors or replace if particularly old and tired.
Front doors- always an important factor for buyers! They want modern, fresh, appealing, clean, and, most of all, safe and secure!
Onto the inside!
Now that we’ve tackled the outdoors enough to bring buyers in, here are some important updates that we should consider if we wish to make a fast and profitable sale.
- Kitchens- when it comes to kitchens we can go all out or keep things modest, the truth is its never a good idea to spend more than you need in order to get the best return so unless your kitchen is only worthy of the tip it may be better to concentrate on budget-friendly ways to make improvements. You could simply just re-paint, replace cupboard doors (not necessarily the carcasses!), new worktops, and door handles/knobs, but only if it’s beneficial to do so, stay within budget.
- Windows- Replacing windows is by no means a cheap fix, but buyers will be put-off if they are old and worn and not at all energy efficient, so consider this option carefully as it may be worth doing if you want to attract buyers at the right price.
- Bathrooms- Again, just like kitchen bathroom updates can be expensive; however, they are generally on a buyer’s preference list when it comes to house hunting. These days people want some kind of modernisation, power showers, Jacuzzi bath, heated flooring, but if all that is out of price range on your home update to-do list, there are still make ways to make some improvements at a lesser cost. Budget fixes include fresh decor, vinyl flooring, re-grouting, and resealing where applicable and basically making the room inviting, clean, and fresh for buyers.
Tip
Real estate agents are your best option when it comes to home updates; they will be able to offer advice on what areas to concentrate on, based on buyer’s interest. Estate agents have all the knowledge and experience since they deal with buyers and sellers daily, and they will help sellers to spend the right amount of cash (without overspend) so that they can get the best return.
