5 Home Renovations to Make Before Selling Your House

Whoever said that selling your home the traditional way is a walk in the park might not have been telling you the whole truth. Selling your home doesn’t have to be a difficult, strenuous task, but any homeowner will tell you that it requires a good amount of effort. There’s always the fear that your home will sit on the market for months on end. Or you’ll have to drop your selling price and settle for what you can get. But this doesn’t have to be your reality with a few simple home renovations. 

Here’s how to prepare your home for the ideal sale — one that doesn’t take months and sees you bagging a decent profit. 

1. Transform Your Landscaping 

First thing’s first, let’s talk about curb appeal. This is the impression that your home offers from street view. For potential home buyers, your curb appeal speaks volumes. Some real estate agents might argue that it’s the most important aspect of your home sale.

This is because your curb appeal hinges on that all-important first impression which influences up to 71 percent of home buyers. 

So, one of the best ways to ensure you make the best impression possible is to put some real effort into your front yard landscaping. And if you don’t have a front yard, then you want to focus on the impression of your front entrance. 

This doesn’t have to be a large-scale project, either. It’s as simple as making sure your yard is in good condition by edging and mulching the lawn for a healthy appearance. Cut back overgrown bushes, shrubs, and tree branches. 

You could also add color and character to your front yard or entranceway with annuals, seasonal flowering plants, and perennials. Remove any overgrown areas of weeds, and mow your lawn on a regular basis to keep the grass healthy.

If landscaping is not your thing or you don’t have the time for it, you could always hire a professional landscaper for a few hundred dollars to get the job done for you in a day or two! 

2. Consider a Mini Facelift for the Kitchen 

If there are two key areas of any home that could make or break the decision of potential home buyers it’s the kitchen and bathrooms. This is why a mini kitchen overhaul is one of the best investments you can make when looking to sell your home for the right price. 

As the heart of every home, your kitchen is a central focal point that needs your attention. If it’s outdated, rundown, or just plain shabby, a mini facelift could do wonders. And all this entails is a few cosmetic upgrades — nothing too expensive. 

This might include: 

• Replacing your cabinetry 
• Replacing your kitchen countertops 
• Replacing your kitchen hardware, i.e. door handles, faucets, etc. 
• Upgrading your kitchen lighting 
• Adding a center island with a statement, overhead light 

A complete renovation is not always the best idea because the project is expensive, time-consuming, and doesn’t always guarantee you a great return on investment. But smaller cosmetic upgrades are always worthwhile. 

3. Repaint the Exterior/Interior 

This type of renovation project falls into the same realm as a mini kitchen makeover. It’s not overly pricey, it won’t take months, and generally offers a fantastic return on investment. 

It’s actually amazing what a difference a fresh coat of paint can make. It has the ability to completely transform your home’s exterior or interior from something that once looked tired and drab, to a home that looks lighter, brighter, and fresh. 

The same goes for scrubbing your walls and simply touching up areas of peeling or faded paint if you can’t afford a full re-paint job. Some of the best colors to opt for are neutrals such as beige, taupe, oatmeal, and white-colored interior walls. 

For the exterior, grey, light blue, light brown, and taupe are also popular colors with home buyers — finished with white trim. 

4. Overhaul Your Interior Lighting

Just like paint can make a world of difference to the overall impression of your home, so can the lighting. In today’s day and age, dull, recessed lighting and outdated light fittings can have a huge impact on your home sale. 

Sustainability and energy efficiency are also standout concerns for modern home buyers. You want to make the effort to upgrade your lighting and swap it out with energy-efficient light bulbs and fixtures. 

Other great lighting fixtures you might want to consider include under-cabinet lighting in your kitchen, accent lighting with downlighters, and tread lighting. If your home boasts a good amount of natural light, you want to show that off too! 

5. Upgrade Your Flooring and Carpeting

This is yet another fundamental touchpoint to consider when selling your home. Your flooring and carpeting can also leave a lingering impression on potential home buyers. 

Once a potential home buyer steps into your home, your flooring is most likely the first thing they see and judge. For this reason, you want to carefully consider the quality of your flooring and whether it would sway your overall decision if you were in a home buyer’s shoes. 

If your flooring is worn down or you have stained, faded carpeting, it’s a good idea to rip it all up and start fresh. If you can’t afford to re-floor the entire house, concentrate on key areas such as the kitchen, your entranceway, your living room area, and the main bedroom. 

One of the best flooring options to go for today is hardwood flooring, although it’s not always affordable. However, you can find materials that mimic hardwood flooring, such as vinyl, tiles, and more. 

Looking to Forgo Home Renovations and Sell for Cash?

If you’re based in the Memphis region and would rather forgo home renovations for a fast cash sale of your home, then you’re already in the right place! 

This is one of the simplest means of selling your home, without the hassle of home renovations, working with a real estate agent, or paying additional fees. Learn more about our process, here.