Upgrading your home prior to putting it on the market is a great way to make sure you get the asking price you want and gives you the added assurance that your property won’t spend months on the market before selling. The problem is that you don’t want to spend too much money on a home that you are planning to sell as soon as possible. Still, you want buyers to be impressed by the home.

Looking to upgrade your home and improve the value at a fraction of the cost of doing full renovations? You have come to the right place. Take a look at our top tips for making your home more valuable the affordable way:

  1. Repainting

One of the cheapest and easiest ways to improve the value of your home is to take some time to paint internal and/or external walls and ensure they are in good condition. A fresh coat of paint will make the property seem new to potential buyers, while any marks or damage like mold or bubbling paint will be an instant turn-off. 

If you’re able to squeeze it into your budget, don’t neglect the outside of your home. Repainting external walls and touching up boundary walls will increase the curb appeal and help you draw in more buyers.

  1. Lighting

Next to repainting, lighting is an old trick relied on by real estate experts to show their homes in the best light possible (pun intended.) Installing new lights is relatively affordable, makes rooms in the home seem bigger, and ensures the property feels warm and welcoming to viewers.  This is particularly important if your home doesn’t get a lot of natural light, or doesn’t have a lot of windows.

It’s also worthwhile to think about where the lighting should be focused. Having well-lit bathrooms and kitchens is essential, particularly around vanity and countertop spaces. Bedrooms, on the other hand, should have softer lighting.

  1. Maintenance

Adding value to your home doesn’t have to be synonymous with new installations only. If you’re planning to sell, pay careful attention to repairs and maintenance that could be considered to be drawbacks to buyers. You’ll want to ensure that all leaks have been plugged up, electrical issues fixed and gutters cleaned to start with. 

Remember that maintenance can extend to the outside of the home too. Garden beds can be weeded and landscaping done to make the outdoor area more appealing.  Maintenance does more than just improve the home value; it might be the deciding factor in a sale. 

  1. Flooring

Similar to walls, floors can have a big impact on how buyers will perceive the property. It’s one of the first visible things they’ll see, and the right flooring can be an important selling point. Some types of floors are considered to be highly valuable, such as hardwood floors. The general condition will play a big part here.

Many homeowners assume that flooring will be an expensive exercise for them. You don’t necessarily need to tear out existing floors and start from scratch, however. Small projects can make a difference. Look at repairing damaged tiles or floorboards, resealing wooden floors, and having any carpets professionally cleaned.

  1. Go Green

Now more than ever before, homebuyers are thinking harder about their environmental impact. Setting up your home to be more green can have a beneficial influence on pricing. Energy-saving alternatives have become increasingly cost-effective, and you can expect potential buyers to pay attention to any green options you install.

Think about adding energy-saving light bulbs, limiting heat-loss around the home by insulating and installing low-flow showerheads and faucets.  

If you can focus on the tips listed above, you should be able to increase the value of your home and attract interested buyers at the same time. The key is to not limit your focus on replacing only and try to put effort into renewing as well. If the existing features of the home are in good condition, there is no reason to replace them if you can simply refresh them. 

At the end of the day, you don’t need to spend a fortune to increase the appeal of your home when planning to sell it. 

Final Thoughts: 

In the end, there are a variety of ways to increase the value of your home, and they aren’t as expensive as you might think. Lastly, if you want to gain a more accurate understanding of how the value of your home is increasing over time, this user-friendly home appreciation calculator should come in handy.