Today's real estate market is a dream if you're looking to buy a new
home, which is great if you're a renter or buying your first home. However, how are you supposed to compete in
this market if you need to sell your current home? What should you look for in your new home?
First, take a moment to consider how you think as a buyer. When you go to buy your new home, what is an
immediate turn on… and what immediately turns you off to a home? Chances are, your buyers are going to be
thinking along very similar lines, as well.
By appealing to your potential buyer's sense of style, comfort,
environmental responsibility, and fiscal sensibility, you have the ability to
set your home apart from the rest.
These are five simple things you can do to increase the value of your
home to potential buyers!
1.
Flooring
I'm sure you have
walked into a home that might have been beautiful in 1978 or 1985, but in this
day and age, the avocado green or pink plush carpeting, linoleum that curls up
at the edges, or stick down vinyl floors completely destroy your ability to
think about placing your beautiful furnishings in that room. The idea of having to change out flooring to
your potential buyer is daunting to say the least, but you can do it fairly
easily and change the entire vibe of the space.
The most
important things to remember when choosing your new flooring are neutrality and
durability. Think about using eco
friendly or sustainable flooring materials such as recycled flooring, carpeting
made from natural fibers, bamboo, natural linoleum, or eucalyptus among others. This will help increase your marketability as
a "green" home… and bonus, it might bring you some good karma for doing your
part to help save the planet!
2.
Electric Radiant Floor Heating
When replacing
your floors, why not add a zoned, energy efficient electric radiant floor
heating system? Since this is a
relatively new concept in the United States, not only will this help to set
your home apart from the others on the market because of the feel of luxury and
novelty of it, an energy efficient, zoned heating system adds another "green"
feature to your home.
There are
electric radiant floor heating systems available for under all types of
flooring including bamboo, wood, carpeting, tile, and even your shower among
others. Look for a company that will
customize the system according to your floor plan and individual heating and
electrical needs. Make sure the system
is UL listed, complies with your flooring manufacturer guidelines, is energy
efficient, offers damage detection, has no electromagnetic radiation (EMR/EMF),
and will not raise your floor level.
Also, make sure that the thermostat is GFCI protected, UL listed, and
ENERGY STAR® compliant.
3.
New Plumbing Fixtures
This is another
simple fix that can make a huge difference in your home! While you can go all out with this if you
want to, you can make a kitchen or bath look like a new room with the right
plumbing fixtures.
Replace old
styles with new, clean, classic, neutral styles. While you are at it, put in low flow
showerheads, toilets, and faucets. If
the water heater is old and out-dated, consider replacing it with a tankless
water heater or another energy-efficient model.
4.
Faux Finish Walls to Hide
Imperfections
So, your walls
may not be perfect, and you really do not feel like going through the time and
expense of completely redoing them, right?
Well, try a faux finish! Faux
finishes add character to your walls, and the textures can help to hide
imperfections, too.
If you do not
feel comfortable doing this yourself, Google a professional in your area. Make sure you take a look at their portfolio,
and check into what kind of brushes and paint they will be using. A good brush and paint can be the difference
between a beautiful job and shoddy work with even the most talented artist.
5.
Finish Your Basement
Capitalize on
that extra space you have down there.
Why waste that space by leaving it for the spiders, dust, and your junk
to sit? This does not have to be as
difficult of a job as you might think.
Simply put in a drop ceiling or the like, throw up some sheetrock, a
little paint, some flooring, and voila, no more wasted space!
Ok, so it might
take a little bit more effort than that, but not much, and do you have any idea
how much easier it is to sell a home with a finished basement than one
without?
Now, I know what
you're thinking, but I would have to put in duct work and have my forced air
heating and a/c system reconfigured to work in the basement, too… and even with
that, we know that it's nearly impossible to heat a basement with the same
system as in your home upstairs.
So, what can you
do? This is where you would use under
floor heating or a portable area rug heater and a portable air
conditioner. When choosing your systems,
make sure that you contact someone who you can trust to help you consider all
factors.
Make sure that
when you are picking out your portable air conditioner that it is energy
efficient, operates quietly, and will cool your area efficiently. You will also want to decide whether you want
an evaporative system where the water evaporates into the air or a system with
an exhaust that you have to empty.
So, as you can see,
there are many ideas to help you increase the value of your home if you are
looking to sell before jumping into the exciting buyer's market that we have
right now. These are just a few that are
sure to make a big impact. If you are
still looking for ideas, just take a look around at some open houses, make sure
you pick a real estate agent who knows your area and has a proven track record,
and ask her or his opinion for some more ideas.
This is an exciting time in the real
estate market! There are so many
opportunities out there that were not available when the market was bloated
just a few years ago. Enjoy it!
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