What should i renovate before selling

Some buyers also are impressed with what seem like basic features. A smaller segment of buyers, typically younger couples, do enjoy remodeling, Ryczek adds. If they can get a fairly decent reduction in sale price, that kind of sits hand in hand with what they want to do. But expect this buyer pool to be fairly slim.

If you have the time and wherewithal, aim for low- to midscale renovations that can weather market changes and a variety of personal tastes. Do-it-yourself projects can help save on labor costs and increase your ability to spread your DIY wings. You can choose from many small- to mid-scale projects without professional help:. Lighting makes your home look lighter and brighter and more inviting. Try to cover every 50 square feet with at least watts of electricity.

Try to include ambient overhead lighting, task-specific lighting such as under-cabinet and reading lights and accent lighting for tables or walls. Outdated cabinets can make your house look out of style.

You can paint the cabinets for a less expensive option. Add cellular blinds. Get rid of curtains or dated heavy drapery that block light and makes your space look smaller.

Enhance The Exterior Does your home have curb appeal? Get literally into the dirt and fix up a few things before you sell:. Replace exterior lighting. Use lighting to your advantage. Wash the siding. Wash with a pressure sprayer and investigate where you need to touch up the paint, fix a loose piece of siding or two and more. Fix the walkway. Is there a broken brick or loose flagstone in a few pieces along your walkway?

If there are lots of weeds in your sidewalk, spray them or pull them regularly. Add pops of color with flowers and plants. You can:. The decision to renovate or not should be based on your timeline, market, budget and price intent. Interior paint, touching up your landscaping, upgrading bathrooms, remodeling your kitchen and improving energy efficiency can all make a difference when it comes to raising the value of your home before you sell.

Homeowners are aware that buyers gravitate toward features like contemporary bathrooms, and kitchens with energy-efficient appliances. The truth is complicated, though, because certain renovations will never raise the value of your home enough for you to break even on the cost.

You need to be strategic about the home updates you make so that you meet your goal of netting more money or selling your home faster without accruing more costs for yourself.

When it comes to renovations that can make your home a more desirable property, there are two things buyers are reliably drawn to: updated kitchens, and updated bathrooms.

When we think about home renovations, our minds tend to jump to interior renovations. Hatton notes that having an attractive exterior can result in more clicks, and thereby more interested buyers for your home. And third, they will encourage more buyers to view your property and potentially fall in love with it. Since labor is one of the major costs involved in home renovations, tackling projects yourself is a great way for you to cut down the costs — and can even make the renovation profitable.

Image source: Style By Emily Henderson. The key to a successful DIY renovation is taking on small, manageable projects that you have the time and energy to see through to the finish — because a half-finished project is often worse than not updating at all. This shows that renovations can be profitable. There are a few reasons house flipping is profitable; one reason lies in scale. Nov 10, , am EST. Nov 9, , pm EST. Nov 9, , am EST. Edit Story. Aug 15, , am EDT. Trang Dunlap Forbes Councils Member.

Opinions expressed are those of the author. Real Estate. Forbes Real Estate Council is an invitation-only community for executives in the real estate industry.

Do I qualify?