If you’re thinking of putting your home on the market, one of the top questions that you’ve likely thought of is, “How do I increase my home’s value and get top dollar for my property? While the number of answers to this question are nearly infinite, we’ve put together a few of the top tips to get the most value from your home.
Ensure your home has great flooring
Flooring is one of the main elements that prospective buyers focus on when they are evaluating homes. While floor replacements are a common project homeowners tackle, if your floors show excessive wear, buyers may also wonder what else is wrong with the space.
The most important areas of flooring for buyers are the entryway and the main living areas. You’ll want to invest in new or refurbished flooring for your entryway because the buyers establish their first impression of a home based on what they see between the curb and entranceway.
Many buyers appreciate solid hardwood floors, however, if that’s outside of your budget you can install engineered hardwood which is constructed by sandwiching a layer of quality plywood between a few layers of hardwood on the top and bottom.
Quality engineered hardwood floors frequently last 20 to 40 years and can be refinished once or twice. This flooring tends to be most stable in the presence of humidity and water which is why they’re often advertised as being suitable for kitchens and basements. If you’re not sure which type of flooring works best for your home, you can always consult a Houston real estate agent for advice.
Upgrade your kitchen
The kitchen is one of the most important areas of the home because guests and residents alike frequently spend time there. Many homeowners upgrade their appliances with more energy efficient ones before selling their property because most buyers don’t want to go through the hassle of replacing appliances themselves when they buy a home.
Although upgradling appliances costs about $5,000 to $10,000 on average, the upgrades frequently deliver a 60% to 80% ROI. Another kitchen improvement option is to replace your existing kitchen cabinet hardware. By replacing old pulls, knobs, and hinges with sleeker options, you can dramatically improve your home’s image.
Replacing cabinet hardware often costs less than $1,000 but delivers 85% to 100% ROI, making it one of the most cost effective upgrade options for your home.
Make your home code compliant
You might think that code violations only apply to major flaws in properties, however, given the breadth of construction regulations, basic things such as misplaced smoke alarms, handrails without returns, and bathroom venting that goes into the attic rather than outside are examples of violations that can stop a home sale.
While many code violations can be fixed relatively easily, if you have an older home which requires more care, you might want to consider selling your home to an all-cash buyer. Although they frequently pay less than traditional buyers, you benefit from not needing to pay for expensive repairs that a traditional home sale would require.