Small Home Upgrades to Boost Value Before the Spring Market

If you’re planning to sell your home before the busy spring market begins, you may not have enough time to make the big changes you want to your home. To be finished by March or April so you can take advantage of the wealth of buyers out there, it’s best to keep your repairs, renovations and replacements small and fairly quick to execute.

Your home doesn’t have to be grand—it just needs to be thoughtfully presented in comparison to similar home styles in the neighborhood and price range. Your job is to make the homebuyer fall in love with your home and say “Wow!” Every small thing you do will make a difference to how the homebuyer perceives value. You’ll never know which update ultimately influenced them the most, but collectively, the updates will bring you a higher offer than you would have received without them.

Start by putting your homebuyer hat on and look critically at your home from all sides, from outdoors to inside—as if you’re seeing it for the first time. Take notes on any negative aspects you find. Invite your Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network professional to stop by and get their opinion on what small improvements you can make before listing your home for sale. You can also ask friends to pretend to be homebuyers and to tour your home objectively. As you follow along, take more notes. If you, your agent and friends agree on the same problem areas, those are the first items that need your attention. Many suggested updates you’ll discover are DIY or can be handled by a handyperson at minimal cost.

The drive up to your home is the first impression your homebuyer will have, so make sure it has plenty of curb appeal. That includes everything from landscaping to the welcome mat. Fix fences with missing teeth and fading stains, trim those dead tree branches, shape the shrubs, plant flowers and greenery, and replace broken or warping walkways and driveways with a new look.

Homebuyers’ eyes will be drawn to color and beauty, so make sure your front door entry and porch, if applicable, look fresh and inviting. Paint your front door a new modern color that contrasts agreeably with your brick or siding color. Replace porch lights with new smart sconces. Buy or make fresh pillows for the swing that complement the front door, welcome mat (also new), and flower pots.

When buyers enter your home, the first things they want to see are light and space. Many older homes, particularly ranch-style homes, don’t have overhead lighting because of low ceilings, so you might have to hire an electrician to run some wires to install canned lights or other flushmount lights, as well as wall sconces over the sofa and by the dining table. And while the electrician’s there, have them increase the number of outlets. A simple DIY project to improve your home’s appeal to buyers is using a paintable cord cover to neatly camouflage messy cords.

You already know where space is a problem in your home, so make sure small areas aren’t overwhelmed with clutter or too much furniture. Many older homes don’t have enough storage, so you should strip down overstuffed closets and utilize underbed storage boxes for out-of-season clothing. Go through your belongings and determine which items to keep, donate, or throw away. You’ll feel a burden lifting from your shoulders.

No single item can change the ambiance of your home better than paint. Fresh paint is expected by homebuyers, so it’s not a step you want to skip. Paint companies such as Sherwin-Williams and Behr, carried at Home Depot, offer plenty of specials and coupons to help you get started. You can also save time and money by buying paint in bulk—typically five gallons for $300 or less. If your home is painted in multiple colors, it puts attention on the walls instead of other things you want the homebuyer to notice, like traffic flow and room sizes. Use a bulk purchase to promote more continuity with a single color flowing throughout the home. A contrasting trim works well with features you want to emphasize like a fireplace or built-in bookcases. Just keep it easy on the eyes with updated neutrals in flat or semi-gloss, such as Tinsmith or Silversmith on the walls and a soft white on the trim.

If you don’t already have crown molding, you can add it easily to main rooms for just over several dollars a linear foot, and it comes pre-painted for quick installation. If you’re painting wood millwork, you can also change the type of paint to be glossier than your walls for instant elegance.

You may already know that kitchens and baths sell homes, so concentrate in those areas. That doesn’t mean you have to redo everything, just the items that date the home or need repair. Tile grout and fixture sealant should not be crumbled or moldy, so look into ways to clean and refill them. Your kitchens and bathrooms may have nice cabinetry, but the sinks and countertops may need replacement from 1980s sunken ovals and Formica to more modern square sinks and granite. There are even grout-coloring pens for a quick solution.

For the kitchen, add a workstation undermount sink with made-to-fit attachments—they look great and save lots of labor. New drawer pulls can put on the finishing touches. However, if your drawers stick and don’t easily pull out, you should upgrade to cabinets with slider drawers and pull-out shelves, and flat-front doors or doors with minimal millwork. Appliances can become obsolete quickly, so if yours are 10 to 15 years old, it will help you add value to replace them with energy-saving models featuring advancements like induction cooktops and ranges, dual fuel ranges, and undercounter beverage and wine refrigerators become more popular. Rebates and tax credits can help contain costs.

Light fixtures can really date a home or make it look elegant and modern. Go through your home and remove inadequate, ugly fixtures and replace them. In warm climates, dimmable light fixtures with a spray of fans are welcome. While you’re at it, update the light switches, too. And, if you don’t have a digital, programmable thermostat, it’s high time to put one in.

Small improvements need to be carried out with consistency throughout the home. For example, if you’re going to swap out a light switch, do them in every room. Only then will you see how small upgrades can work together to make a big impact.