Spruce Up Your Home without Spending Big Bucks

May 8, 2013 by Ann Steinemann 1 Comment

If you’ve checked out HGTV on-line or on television, it may seem like you can’t sell a home today without putting in granite counters, stainless appliances and hardwood floors. I  talk to homeowners daily who sat tight for the past 5 years, waiting for the real estate market to turn. They’re  now eager to sell their homes and take advantage of what is fast becoming a seller’s market.  But for many homeowners who struggled to stay afloat during the recession, the cost of getting their house ready for sale to appeal to today’s buyers, seems out of reach.

Getting your home ready for sale doesn’t have to break the bank. A good, spring cleaning will take you a long way. In addition, here are 6 things you can do today to make your home attractive to today’s buyers without spending big bucks.    

1)  Plant flowers It amazes me how many people have professional landscaping around their homes but fail to plant a single flower. Trees and shrubs help to soften the hard lines of a house but individual flowers add color, drama and visual interest to a landscape. They also  say that someone cared enough to make things pretty. You don’t have to spend a fortune or days digging in the dirt to make this happen. Sometimes all it takes is adding a hanging plant near the front door.

2)  Declutter  This means getting rid of everything you don’t want, don’t use and will not take to your new home. Clear kitchen and bathroom counters of everything you don’t use daily. Get rid of all but the current issues of magazines and newspapers. For those items you just can’t part with but don’t use regularly, box them up and store them in one area of your home, out of sight, if possible.  May and June are great months for garage sales so you could actually make  money on all that unwanted stuff. You know the old saying, “One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure”. What doesn’t sell at the garage sale can find a home with the Salvation Army in Sandusky, Firelands Habitat for Humanity in Huron or Goodwill in Huron, Sandusky and Vermilion.

3)  Wash Windows  Clean windows speak volumes. They let in light. They let people see the world outside clearly. They give the impression that your home is well-tended.  If you get in your car or someone else’s and the windshield is covered with dirt, dead bugs and dust, what do you want to do? Enough said.

4)  Paint Some Walls Paint is the least expensive and most dramatic way I know to spruce up a home. Years ago we used to advise sellers to paint their rooms “Realtor Beige” to appeal to the largest percentage of buyers. Now I advise people that any subtle, neutral colors are fine. Just a heads up that purple and orange are typically not subtle or neutral.  Painting can be a do-it-yourself project but if you’ve never painted or know you can’t “stay within the lines” then better hire a professional.

5)  Paint Shutters and Trim Many homes have low-maintenance, vinyl siding. If your home is wood and you can’t afford the cost of painting the entire house or if your home is vinyl-sided but looks “tired”, try painting the shutters, trim and front door and watch your exterior go from drab to wow.

6)  Clean Carpets  You can rent a carpet cleaner from ACE Hardware or Home Depot if you want to do it yourself or hire a professional. Professionals can set you back a few hundred dollars. Two years ago I opted to spend a couple hundred dollars on a Hoover Carpet Cleaner. It works great and gets a lot of use.  If areas of carpet are worn, dated (i.e. avocado green shag from the 70s) or still stained after cleaning, then it’s better to replace than offer a carpet allowance.  Most buyers today want homes that are move in ready. They don’t want to move in all their things and then have to deal with pulling up and replacing old carpet.

If you complete this to-do list before putting your home on the market, you should get top dollar for your home without breaking the bank. If you’d like a no-cost, professional evaluation of what you can do to get the most value from your home’s sale, call me today at 419-625-5555.

Ann Steinemann copyright 2013