You want to make the most from your home sale. One of the best ways to add value to your home is to make cost-effective upgrades that recoup the entire cost of the improvements.
These 5 money-saving home renovation ideas are frugal, yet they make a significant impact on the look and feel of your house.
Create a Masterpiece Lawn
The National Association of Realtors found that adding seed to fill out your lawn gets 417% of your money back, which translates to a 317% return on investment. A green lawn improves the quality of MLS listing photos and the overall look of your curb appeal. In our research through the National Association of Realtors’ report and the Cost vs. Value Remodeling Impact Report, this improvement had the best return on investment out of any other upgrade.
Give the Entire House The Deepest Clean Possible
While this step is not exactly a renovation, the effect it has on your house may feel as big as a large-scale improvement project would. While everyone cleans their house from top to bottom on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, this clean should be way more extensive. You’ll need to, at minimum:
-Scrub every nook and cranny of your kitchen cabinets
-Take apart your stovetop, clean out the fridge, oven, and dishwasher
-Mop and vacuum all floors
-Deep clean your carpets or polish your hardwood floors
-Dust every single surface
-Put away or donate all clutter
-Clean or buy new bedding and towels
-Sterilize the bathroom
Your house should feel like a sparkling clean model home. A clean space lets buyers picture moving into the home themselves. A dirty home forces them to imagine the salmon you ate for dinner last night or the eggs you let rot in the fridge.
The house shouldn’t smell (or feel) sterile, though! Make a natural deodorizer (simmer lemons and rosemary over the stovetop) and add small touches like fresh cut flowers and colorful throw pillows.
Switch Out Old Kitchen Countertops
This update is a little more expensive, but it’s a must if you have grimey tile or unsightly or damaged stone countertops. Switch out the counters for a neutral stone and you’ll give an old kitchen a must needed facelift.
Paint the Interior
A fresh paint job is the best way to complete the cleaning process and makes the home feel brand new. This is a fix you can DIY if you’re comfortable or one you can have professionals complete if you don’t have the time or skillset. Make sure to pick a simple eggshell or calming beige.
Clean Up Exterior Curb Appeal
No buyer wants to see a house with dirt-stained, faded siding or grime-covered brick whether they view the home online or at the open house. New exterior siding or paint will cost thousands, though. The best cost effective way to clean the exterior of the house is to buy a pressure washer and power wash the home yourself.
A good pressure wash removes all stuck-on dirt and brightens the exterior paint. Pressure washers cost around $150, and you’ll be able to use the machine to clean up your driveway and any porch space as well.
These money-saving tips are especially applicable when selling your home in 2017 but can also be used to add value at any time. Be sure to let us know how much money you saved–and how great your house looks when you’re finished!