If you’re like most home sellers, you want to sell your home for the highest price possible—and that means getting your home in tip-top shape! But there’s so much than can be done to a home—exterior work, plumbing and electrical improvements, kitchen and bathroom remodels—it’s hard to know where to start! How about starting with top home renovations?
Top Seller Home Improvements
The key to making home improvements as a seller is to aim your updates to areas buyers are going to notice—and details they’ll appreciate. Is a buyer going to notice if you update your plumbing? Probably not. Are they going to notice a fancy new bathroom vanity? Likely, yes!
So, here are the top home renovations aimed at pleasing buyers.
Bathroom remodels
A recent Homes.com survey of 977 homeowners found that over 30% of those surveyed felt their home would not be ready to sell without some bathroom improvements. And that’s for good reason—kitchen and bathrooms sell homes!
But before you start gutting your master bath, pump the breaks and think about how you might be able to make some improvements without making major changes! The key to any selling updates is to make a big difference without a big price tag.
Kitchen remodels
Unsurprisingly, of the same 977 homeowners surveyed, 30.8% felt that a kitchen renovation was necessary before selling—kitchen and bathrooms sell homes, right?
But as with your bathroom improvement, the key here is not to go big, but instead to make smart, cost-effective updates that are going to improve your home’s saleability more than they’re going to cost.
Interior paint
Another major area of perceived improvement for many homeowners was interior paint, with just over 27% of participants citing a need for fresh paint. The good thing about paint is that it’s pretty low-cost, definitely DIY, and fairly straightforward and easy.
The key with painting is to keep it neutral and simple—steer clear of bright or bold colors, fluorescent accent walls, or busy patterns. Instead, aim for colors that can appeal to a wide audience and many styles of decor, like grey, beige, tan, and maybe light yellows or blues.
New flooring
Scuffed, dingy, or stained flooring can definitely drag down a home’s overall appearance, so it’s no surprise that nearly 24% of homeowners felt that new flooring was a before-selling must.
While flooring can be a more expensive, and at times inconvenient, update, it is also typically one that pays off in the long run, making it worth the time and money if your floors are in need of some attention.
Exterior painting & landscaping
You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression—which is why curb appeal is so important! It’s not surprising that over 21% of homeowners felt they could use new exterior paint, while 16% thought they needed landscaping improvements.
When painting the exterior of your home, use the same principles as on your interior paint—keep it neutral and simple. And for landscaping, reduce your costs with DIY improvements as simple as mowing the lawn, trimming hedges, and planting some seasonal flowers.
Need Recommendations for Home Improvements?
Here at the Tina Barletta Team, we know homes—buying them, selling them, and yes, making improvements to them, too! If you’re looking for recommendations on which projects will pay off best for you or you need help finding a local vendor for a renovation project, we’re more than happy to offer our advice! Contact us today to learn more.