Totally remodeling your kitchen or overhauling your bathroom will cost tens of thousands of dollars each, but this is not the only way to add value to your home. You can still increase its value by doing many lower-cost do-it-yourself (DIY) projects.
A Fresh Coat of Paint
You might be surprised how newly painted walls in your house can make your home look clean and updated. This is one of the most cost-effective home improvements you can do if you are trying to increase the value of your home. You should stick to neutral colors because they appeal to the greatest number of people.
Make Your Lawn Look Nice
It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to make the exterior of your home look attractive to potential buyers. Remember, it is the first thing they will see and will help form their first impression of your house. At the very minimum make sure your lawn is in good shape and mowed regularly. If you have a garden, make sure it is neat and looks good.
Refresh Your Bathroom
There are plenty of things you can do yourself to make your bathroom look better and give it a new fresh look without gutting the whole room and without a renovation. If your bathroom is boring, broken, or outdated, you can give it a quick refresh by doing things like:
- Upgrading your fixtures
- Re-grouting your shower
- Installing a tile backsplash
- Fixing any leaking faucets
- Keeping it clean
- Replacing old lighting
Replace Worn Rugs or Carpet
If your area rugs and carpets are stained or worn, it will turn off potential buyers. Area rugs are less expensive to replace than carpeting. If your budget is limited and your carpeting needs to be replaced, you can choose the room that is in the worst shape and replace the carpeting in there. For the other rooms, you can either hire a carpet cleaner or rent a machine and steam clean it yourself.
Let There be Light
Dark homes are cold and unwelcoming. If your finances allow it, install new lighting fixtures in as many rooms as you can. Check with your local home improvement stores to see if they have any lighting fixtures on sale that you can install in your bathrooms, kitchen, bedroom, and other rooms in your house that can use better lighting. You can also add lamps that use high wattage bulbs to add more light to your home.
Clean and De-Clutter
One of the most difficult things to keep up with when your home is on the market is keeping it clean and neat all the time in case someone wants to come and see it. Make sure your home shines from floor to ceiling, put your stuff away in closets or drawers, keep your windows and mirrors clean, and wipe down your countertops.
Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are functional in that they will save money on electricity bills, especially in the summer by cutting down on air conditioning costs. If you already have an overhead light in your rooms, it will cost less money to install a ceiling fan because the electrical work is already there.
Make Your House Look Bigger
Obviously, you can’t change the size of your house unless you add an extension, but there are some things you can do to make it look and feel larger. If you have heavy drapes on your windows, you should remove them and replace them with shutters or vertical blinds that will let more light into your room. You can also add a large mirror to one or more of your rooms to visually make the room look bigger. The best way to make a room look larger is to get rid of all your clutter. If you need places to put your stuff, you can purchase a relatively inexpensive shelving unit that you can either put in a closet or leave out in the open if it is attractive.
Real estate agents can give you advice on some of the other things you can do to make your house stand out from the rest and sell more quickly. Small fixes can increase the value of your home by 16%. Plan out your DIY projects, research online for more ideas, and talk to your realtor if you are listing with one. Your goal is to ensure that your house will be seen by potential buyers as a home they would want to live in. DIY home improvements can add a lot of value to your home without having to do any major and expensive remodeling.
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