Whether you plan on staying in your home for 10 more years or are ready to sell now, it never hurts to improve your home and increase your property value. But many homeowners are put off by the high costs of renovations, uncertainty in dealing with contractors, and many homeowners simply don’t have the time to take on home improvement projects.
While a full blown renovation might be needed for some homes, most homes can get by making simple, do-it-yourself changes that will have a big impact on your home’s value and visual appeal. Here are 10 ways you can easily increase your home’s value for well under $1,000 each.
1: Reseed A Bare Lawn
Cost: $150-$400
A full, green lawn can be a great attraction for potential buyers and can make a home appear welcoming and well taken care of. A great weekend project is cleaning up the lawn and planting new seed and fertilizer to make your home’s front entry look as pristine as a golf course.
2: Clean Or Replace Worn Carpets & Rugs
Cost: $300-$600
Worn and dirty carpets and area rugs can give the appearance that your home isn’t cared for. Many dirty carpets can easily be cleaned by renting a commercial strength carpet cleaner from a local hardware store, however some deep dirt stains may require the help of a professional. If your carpets are dirty, getting them cleaned or cleaning them yourself will make an enormous visual impact to potential buyers.
3: Remove Popcorn Ceilings
Cost: $200-$300
Popcorn ceilings are a design of the past, and removing them can help modernize your home. Removing popcorn finishes is really as easy as getting a scraper and a little elbow grease. Once they’ve been scraped, simply fill in any rough spots, sand, and you’re ready to paint your ceiling. A smooth ceiling in place of a popcorn finish can make an enormous impact in making a room look more updated.
4: Update Your Home’s Front Entrance
Cost: $500-$1,000
The entrance to your home is what can really define your home or leave it looking like every other house on the block. Consider replacing an old front door with a newer style, painting your existing entry way and updating the hardware and fixtures, or even replacing the woodwork and trim with something more updated. All these changes can easily be done in a weekend and will make a dramatic impact on your home’s entryway.
5: Brighten Things Up
Cost: $500-$1,000
The lighting in your home is not only an important decorative element but also serves an important function of keeping your home brightly and evenly lit. If you have rooms with dated fixtures or even rooms with not enough light fixtures, consider updating or adding light fixtures to help brighten things up. A well lit room not only looks bigger, brighter, and better, but it also will increase your home’s perceived value.
6: Get Things Organized
Cost: $150-$300
While most of the items in your home that require organizing aren’t actual parts of the home, having a home in disarray can detract from the perceived value of the house. By organizing all your items, you’ll not only make the home look neater and more up-kept, but you’ll also make the home look larger and increase the perceived value to potential buyers.
7: Paint Can Freshen Up Any Room
Cost: $100-$250
Painting a room is a tedious task but one that can pay off big. One of the most inexpensive things you can do to freshen up a room is change the paint color to something neutral and more updated. Even if the color of your room already works well, a fresh coat of paint can make a dated space look brand new again.
8: Update Knobs & Handles
Cost: $400-$800
Consider updating all the knobs on your cabinets throughout the house. This can help make even older cabinets look more updated, fresh, and clean. While you’re at it, if you have dated door knobs and locks, those can easily be replaced with newer hardware that will leave all the doors in your home looking newer and fresher.
9: Visually Increase Your Home’s Space
Cost: $300-$500
Visually increasing the size of your home can make potential buyers think they are getting more house for their money. Simple things like rearranging furniture to a more spacious layout can leave rooms seeming dramatically larger. Or consider changing out curtains and blinds for ones that let more light in, which will also make your living spaces seem larger.
10: Keep Up With Maintenance
Cost: $500-$700
Owning a home means putting some time, money, and effort into keeping up with things that break or require regular maintenance. Make sure your house is in good working order and that you stay on top of maintenance so when it comes time to sell, you don’t end up with a laundry list of items that require expensive repairs.
These 10 easy tips will help you make sure you get the most for your house, whether you’re looking to sell now or years into the future, and will also help you enjoy your home a little more while you’re still in it!
