Selling your home can look like a long and intimidating road, but there are many easy do-it-yourself projects you can do that will increase your home’s value by more than you know! Before you plan your renovations, check your home’s current value to make sure any big projects will pay off once completed. An expensive remodel is not always necessary in order to get a higher ROI. Here are 5 easy ways you can add value to your home without spending a ton of money!
1. Low-Maintenance Landscaping
Although colorful and exotic plants will make your home stand out and add a pop of color, plants that are native to the region you live in will be easier to take care of and therefore will require less maintenance from you. Adding plants, trees or shrubs to your yard’s landscape will increase its curb appeal and is super easy to do. If your yard has a lawn, fix it to make sure there are no overgrown or patchy areas which can cause your home to stand out in a bad way. Going from messy to nicely maintained doesn’t have to cost a fortune and can help tremendously!
2. Small Bathroom Updates
Completely renovating a bathroom can be expensive, but you can still drastically change a bathroom’s appearance with just a few changes such as swapping old wallpaper with one that’s patterned or textured, adding a wider shower-head or replacing overhead lighting with modern wall mounted light fixtures to add warmth. Small updates like these will add up to a big return!
3. Visually Increase Square Footage
It’s true that a bigger house means a higher price tag, but you should also look at the layout of your home’s interior, not just the square footage. The key is to make each room feel visually large. Painting a room a lighter color automatically opens it up and makes it feel bigger and brighter, as does adding a mirror to any wall. Vertical blinds can replace heavy drapes, and getting rid of clutter you don’t need including old furniture and decor will make a room feel less cramped.
4. Save the Popcorn for Movie Night!
One of the keys to adding simple value to your home is to remove anything that could potentially turn buyers away, and most buyers are looking for a home that is up-to-date. Few home features scream dated more than popcorn ceilings, which were all the rage back in the ‘60s and ‘70s. You will need a professional to test your ceiling for asbestos (microscopic "fibrils" known to cause lung cancer that can be released by abrasion) but once you’re in the clear, removing a popcorn ceiling is something you can easily do yourself! All you need to do is purchase a solution from your local hardware store which will soften the texture, then simply scrape it away.
5. Improve Your Home’s Air Quality
If you can’t remember when the carpets in your home were installed, chances are it was a long time ago. Older carpets hide are magnets for allergens and contaminants which can diminish your home’s interior air quality and make it feel stuffy and smelly. Carpets do not always need to be replaced, sometimes hiring professional carpet cleaners can do the trick. But before you jump to this quick fix, hire a professional company to test your home’s air quality. If it is poor, replace your carpets with laminate flooring or hardwood flooring. Hard surface floors don’t hold odors or store contaminants, and are also much easier to keep clean! They also add value to a home while giving it an updated look.
