Affordable Home Improvement Tips: What You Need to Know

One of our favorite parts about spring is the opportunity for a fresh start and to clean house, so to speak. As the spring selling season kicks into high gear, it is an excellent time to encourage your sellers to make a few low-maintenance home improvements to help speed up the selling process. While being mindful of a budget, keeping the home up to date is an important component when it comes time to sell. We have compiled some ideas (so feel free to pass along to your clients and take the credit!) to guide homeowners to make the right changes necessary to sell their house. Below are three categories that can make a big difference in updating a listing without breaking the bank.

Interior updates:

• Encourage replacement instead of remodeling in areas that need improvement. Replace only items that need fixing, rather than doing a complete overhaul on the room.
• The best way to maximize a home’s resale value is to focus on remodeling the kitchens and bathrooms. A good rule of thumb is kitchens and baths get dated in five years, so if your clients prefer the trendy route, it’s best to choose items like cabinets and countertops from a big box retailer, such as Ikea. This is the least expensive route and allows for easy updates at a later date.  
• Crown molding is an excellent way to quickly dress up a home. Locate a good trim carpenter to install, and this will instantly freshen up the interior of the home.

Exterior updates:

• Exterior replacement projects, such as a new garage door and a new entry door offer some of the best returns at time of sale. 
• These replacements allow homeowners to recoup close to 70% or more of the costs of the project at times of resale.

Pre-plan and get advice:

• Plan out the necessary renovations ahead of time to avoid spending a lot more money than intended.
• If your seller is using a contractor, make sure he or she gets all the details of the renovation in writing from the contractor up front, before signing. Also, don't make the final payment until all renovations are complete.
• If your seller’s home is higher-end and they need to spend money to keep with the property's price point, consult with a designer to help select neutral, less trendy finishes.

According to a recent HomeFinder.com consumer survey, 80% of HomeFinder.com site visitors are actively in the market for a new home. Since so many first glances occur online, first impressions can be formed solely on digital images so it is important to put the best images forward. Any remodeling efforts should be photographed upon completion to produce clean, bright photos. These photos will be a huge benefit for your digital marketing efforts, including building a Single Property Website. 

We hope these tips help you sell your listings quickly and put your seller’s home in the hands of a new buyer! Do you have any great remodeling tips that you always encourage your sellers to implement? Share with us below or take the conversation to Facebook.com/homefinderdotcom.