Browsing Tag

realestate and home selling

5-investments-to-increase-your-homes-value

The right investments are key to improving your home’s value. If you are considering selling your home like millions of Americans do each and every year, you likely want to get the most money possible for it. However, if you simply attach a high asking price for the home without warrant, you will struggle to sell. The home will likely sit on the market far longer than the average amount of time and you will see few interested buyers.

In order to get more money for your home, you need to improve it. There are several renovations and other changes that you can do to take your home to the next level. But which of these are truly worth the investment of both time and money?  With that in mind, this guide is going to look at a few investments that can help to increase the value of your home.

Add a Security System

When people are buying a home, they want a place that they can feel safe and comfortable in. As a result, adding a security system to your home is a worthy investment that can help make your home more valuable. These systems secure the home and everything inside of it. Some include cameras and most can instantly contact the authorities once set off. These systems aim to prevent burglaries and other types of crime, and also minimize the damages if they do occur.

Many security systems also have smart home capabilities. They can control things like the lights and temperature throughout your home. Of course, be sure to know how the system works so you can use it yourself and tell interested buyers about it and the many benefits it has. The internet is full of resources to help, such as this informative article that explains all you need to know about alarm codes for these systems.

Boost The Energy Efficiency of the Home

Another way to make your home more valuable is to make it more energy efficient. Not only does making your home more efficient save the planet and appeal to the millennial audience, but a more efficient home can also be more affordable in terms of monthly utilities.

There are a few different things you can do to boost the energy efficiency of your home. This includes using LED light bulbs, getting new and efficient appliances, reducing your usage, and upgrading your windows. Sure, there are some costs associated with making the switch, but these will often pay for themselves quicker than you think.

Give the Bathroom a Small Makeover

The bathroom is without a doubt one of the most used rooms in most homes. Whether we are showering, getting ready or doing a range of other things, the bathroom is a place we will visit more than a couple times a day. As a result, updating it can increase the value of your home and make it more desirable.

While some people will go out and spend a fortune upgrading every single part of their bathroom, this often isn’t needed. A few small changes such as new floor tile, a new light fixture and a new vanity top can often be enough to give the room a whole new look. Going with fairly neutral colors is often a good idea, as people can add their own touches with things like art and the shower curtain they choose.

Redesign the Kitchen

Another room that sees a lot of traffic on any given day is the kitchen. Not only is it the place where we eat and prepare food, but the kitchen is often a place of gathering, where families spend time together. Many call it the heart of a home, and we would have to agree. In many cases, kitchen redesigns or renovations are quite expensive.

A lot can be changed, and the bill can be run up quickly. Thankfully, an updated kitchen can dramatically increase the value of your home, so the higher costs of this renovation compared to other rooms can often be worth it. However, there are still ways to save. These range from handling the demolition yourself, to using recycled materials, to shopping around for the right contractor.

Don’t Forget About the Yard

While focusing on the inside of the home is a good idea, it is important not to disregard the outside. Many home buyers love outdoor space and a nice yard can often be enough to convince people to buy your home. Not only that, many people are willing to pay more for a home with a well-kept and landscaped yard.

This is especially true in warmer areas of the country, where the outdoor space can be enjoyed all year round. There are many ways to easily and relatively affordably upgrade your yard to boost the value of your home. This could be adding a deck, ensuring your fences are in good shape, adding a garden, and keeping the grass and foliage in check.

In conclusion, any of the investments mentioned can have a positive impact on the value of your home. This will help you fetch the most money possible when it eventually becomes time to sell.

0 comment
Share:
home-staging-really-make-difference

Home Staging ….we have all seen it on the TV shows and heard our realtor friends and family talk about home staging!

What is Home Staging and does it really work?

I’ve been staging homes for for about 10 years, and yes – it really does work!

The concept seems strange and I still have people ask for clarification….”So the furniture that was there is removed and then you move furniture back in?” In a nutshell, yes but there is much more involved than just furniture. Cleaning, de-cluttering, repairs, updates, de-personalizing and then the staging / styling – it’s all a part of the process!

 

Home Staging is all about the present the home in it’s best light and setting the scene to attract the buyer. Home staging involves a number of steps to get the property looking it’s best and every house has different needs. Many think that a vacant home allows buyers to see how big the space is, how they can use it and visualize how they want to paint, furnish etc…

 

 

When we stage homes, we also get some ideas from the realtor about the buying demographic and target group – this really help us find a focus for the decor style, colours and also staging the property with the lifestyle in mind.  A young newlywed couple would live differently that a busy family of 4 or 5! So we take that into consideration.

But that’s not the case – an empty home looks cold and uninviting plus it doesn’t present well in photographs, which is how most buyers will see their home for the first time.  Buying a home is an emotional experience – the buyers connect with the home and an empty one is just that, empty and you can’t connect with empty!

So this is what Home Staging does…

Home Staging is about setting the scene so buyers can visualize living in their dream home.  They can see how you can live in the space. The furniture and styling add warmth and help plant ideas of lifestyle and usability of the space and layout. The proper scale and amount of furniture balance out the room and allow buyers to ‘mentally move-in’. 

 

 

Can you believe this is the same room?

This before and after is incredible (photos above).  We did a few things to make this home look it’s best.  For starters, take a look at the drapery.  That heavy espresso brown panel drapery was replaced with some much lighter – look at the difference in the room – it looks open, bright and airy!  We also moved the fireplace (it was an electrical fireplace, so it could be moved). The original placement made the room look long and skinny (almost like a hallway). By moving the fireplace, we have created two spaces.  A living room with fireplace and potentially a wall mount TV and the other end of the room, we staged as a seating area for reading and a small work space.We were careful to pick furniture that was of the correct size and scale. We kept the tones light and airy (see that pop of yellow, a staging favourite).  We have some simple accessories that really complete the look and add warmth to the space.  The art, pillows, plant…they all make a difference in the presentation.

 

                    

 

Home staging sets you apart from the rest.

When your home looks good , buyers (and their agents) take notice! We had a recent property sell in under a week for more than asking (and they weren’t in a multiple offer situation).  The agent said to the buyers “give them an offer they can’t refuse, or you will lose this house”. So they did! Good looking properties look great in photos, these photos are seeing online, then the showings start to happen, lots of showing traffic means good (some times many) strong offers and next thing you know – your house is sold.

Home staging is a MUST – Home staging gets properties SOLD!

0 comment
Share: