When it comes time to sell your house, you want the process to go quickly and smoothly, all while getting the maximum value from your home.
In competitive markets like Chicago, a few small tweaks can go a long way in setting your home apart from the others on the market. Today, we are going to look at 6 cost effective methods to spruce up your home and make it stand out in the sea of homes on the market.
1. Update Your Kitchen
I know what you are thinking… Kitchen Renovation? Before you skip on to the next item, hear me out. Installing new cabinets, flooring, tiles, and appliances is certainly not budget friendly. However, there are some much more cost effective items that can be updated.
If your home has wood cabinets, refinishing them is one such option. If you have some time to sand and repaint your cabinets, you could completely change the look and feel of your kitchen for a few hundred dollars.
In addition, hiring a professional cleaning service to deep clean your appliances can also go a long way. A polished sink, spotless stove, and like new refrigerator will appeal to potential buyers and again, will only cost you a couple hundred bucks to have completed.
2. Garage Makeover
Does your home have an attached garage? If so, the garage could be one of the “must have” features on a potential buyers list. Just like with your kitchen, a few upgrades can go a long way in winning over a potential buyer and securing the best price for your home. Wall storage, countertop work space, and a custom floor are all easy changes that could be made.
Depending upon the size of your garage, you may opt for all three, creating that “wow” factor that draws an instant offer.
3. Refresh Your Landscaping
Ever heard the old saying, “you never get a second chance at a first impression”, this holds true when selling your home as well.
Before a buyer ever sees the kitchen, master bath, or unique character of your home, they will see the outside of your home. This is your chance to play up the strengths of your home. Do you have a big yard, a beautiful flower garden, or an area destined for a fire pit and seating?
If so, making sure your plants are fresh and vibrant, staging the back yard with some cheap seating around a fire pit, or even showing off some unique stonework in your yard can weigh heavily in the buying decision. When you are selling your home, you need to help buyers picture themselves living in it, your landscaping is a great way to spark their imagination.
4. Use Short Furniture
The last thing you want is for a potential buyer to feel like your home is cluttered or small. A trick interior designers use to open up small spaces is using short furniture items. A low back couch, short back chairs, and curved tables will help you create the illusion of more space.
If your home is short of space, use low pieces throughout and make it feel big to buyers. To save money, you could look into hiring a staging service or renting some light and low furniture to take your home to the next level.
5. Install Bright Light Bulbs
Have you ever been in a room that was poorly lit and felt dungeon-like? Unless you are selling your home to a dragon, you don’t want that to be how your home feels to potential buyers.
Another cheap but effective way to make a home feel bigger is with brighter bulbs. Higher watt bulbs or led bulbs can have a huge impact upon the feeling a room gives the potential buyer. Couple that with low and light furniture and you are on your way to that first offer.
6. Use Live Plants Inside and Out
Aside from the plants that are a permanent part of your landscaping, you should include potted plants on your front porch, in the entryway, and throughout your home.
The lovely aroma of fresh flowers, the bright colors they bring, and that “ahh this feels like home” sensation that they deliver can be the final detail that sells your home.
When you are ready to put your home on the market, implementing even a few of the above tips can help you maximize the resale value and help you get offers more quickly.