You’ve made the decision to sell your home, and you want to make a very good impression on prospective buyers. There are some simple and inexpensive things you can do around your home to prepare it for that all-important first impression. The same information applies to rental property if you hope to attract tenants.
Are the power socket plates old? Is it the light switch covers? Or even worse, are they painted? White or off-white plastic covers are around 50 cents each. You can replace an entire house for $20 – $30. If you have a little more money to spend on your makeover, buy shiny brass countertops for the living room and foyer. If you can afford to do the whole house, consider adding the master bedroom to the list. At around $5 each, the brass covers add a lot of class for a small amount of cash.
Are the interior doors basic brown hollow doors? Consider replacing them with pretty white doors. You can paint your existing doors, but it will take about three coats of paint to adequately cover the brown coating, so it may be worth spending the money on new doors. A pre-assembled, pre-primed hollow door will cost around $20. Also think about replacing doorknobs or handles, especially if they are old, worn, or painted. A nice brass finished door knob will cost around $10. S-shaped handles add a lot of class and are only around $20 each.
The walls look pretty good, so you’ve decided not to paint. Paint the trim at least. Most modern rentals and houses have off-white walls with white trim. Use a semi-gloss paint for trim around doors, windows, and on floorboards. If the floorboards are worn, you can get pre-painted foam molding at any DIY store for about 50 cents per linear foot. Consider adding crown molding at least in the living room and entryway.
As the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a good first impression. Think about the front door, which is the first thing people will notice. If your front door is cheap and old, the property will look the same. If the door is heavy, paint it a bold color with high gloss paint. If you have to replace your front door, a new one will cost around $125 and the return on investment will be well worth it.
Is the entryway or foyer covered in linoleum? Consider replacing it with Mexican tiles. An 8 x 8 area will only cost about $100 in materials.
One that is often forgotten or overlooked is the bathroom. Hang a new shower curtain. Replace the old shower rod. Use new shower hooks. A nice shower curtain makes a bathroom look more finished and will only cost about $40. Again, that’s not a lot of money for a lot of class.
Most Americans spend most of their time in the kitchen if they’re not watching TV or sleeping. Take a look at the kitchen cabinets. Are the dark woods from the 70s? Are they scratched? Worth? Ancient? Just ugly? paint them Don’t worry about painting the inside of the cabinets unless you have a spray gun. Paint the cabinet doors and trim with a semi-gloss paint and swap out the knobs for nice plastic ones. Putting a good faucet also makes a good first impression in the kitchen. They’ll cost around $150, but if you look at the newspapers and flyers, DIY centers will frequently run sales of overstocked merchandise.
Following these few tips and spending a little money can make the difference between selling your home fast or renting it out fast.