If you’re about to sell your house, chances are you know that a fast sale is the best possible outcome. However, as a seller, it can be intimidating to have to do all the work to get your house ready for the sale process. Fortunately, there are many projects you can do that won’t take much effort, but will really impress buyers and help ensure a faster closing.
It’s always advisable to ensure that houses for sale are put on the market in the best condition possible. If you’ve never sold a house before, you might be surprised how these small projects that are done pre-sale can really boost the value of your home. The key is knowing what areas buyers are going to be focusing on, then using your time and money to target these high-impact spaces.
If you’ve already got a Windsor real estate agent on your team, speak to them directly about recent trends they’ve been seeing in the local market. This can help you narrow your focus, so you can work quickly and efficiently.
To get you started thinking about which upgrades you should be making, here are some suggestions that we’d typically offer to sellers in the Windsor-Essex County area.
1. Refresh your curb appeal
The front of your house, your yard, and your driveway are typically the first things that buyers see when they pull up. If your yard looks messy and unkempt, or your exterior paint has seen better days, it makes a terrible first impression that will take a lot of effort to dispel.
To boost your curb appeal, get rid of mess and clutter, which includes out-of-season furniture, tools, or children’s toys. Then, repair or cover problem areas like loose electrical wire or cracked siding. To put the final touches on your home’s new look, refocus the attention to your door by repainting it in a bright colour, or add some potted plants flanking your entryway.
2. Upgrade lighting
Adding new, modern lighting fixtures in key rooms can make your home look decades younger. Key areas to focus on include the living room, bedrooms, and hallways, which can easily look dark and dingy if they aren’t lit properly.
Recessed lighting is popular right now because it offers diffuse light without the hassle of having a fixture hanging down into the living space. If you don’t have the budget to hire a contractor to install new recessed lighting throughout your home, opt for modern, low-profile fixtures instead.
3. Paint the walls
A fresh coat of paint is an instant upgrade for any home. Paint can help hide a multitude of sins, including scuffs, scratches, nail holes, and any other marks that have gotten on your walls in your years of living there. Start by painting over any bold, statement colours, or areas that look particularly banged up – and don’t forget the baseboards, if you have them.
To help depersonalize your home, choose a soft, neutral colour, like white, beige, or light green. This is a project you can easily tackle yourself, or you can call in the experts to make sure the colour is consistent throughout.
4. Refresh your bathroom’s vanity
The main bathrooms of your home are key areas that buyers will want to see, and the vanity is the central feature of the room. If it looks dated or worn, it’s a signal to buyers that the rest of the house will be as well.
To improve the look of your bathroom, make sure the surface of your vanity looks clean and fresh, then swap out old hardware for new versions in modern stainless steel or brushed nickel. If your mirror is a simple rectangle without a frame, consider replacing it with something a bit more exciting, then framing it in a colour that’s complementary to the rest of the room.
5. Add a tile backsplash in your kitchen
Adding a tile backsplash to your kitchen is a great way to add a little bit of luxury without breaking the bank. These projects, which can be done by most homeowners, use adhesive tile mosaic pieces so they can be added in an afternoon without a professional contractor.
6. Replace old, stained grout
Grout in your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room can get old and dirty very quickly. Once the dirt has been ground in, it’s very difficult to get it looking as sparkly white as when it was first installed.
Instead of expending a ton of effort to scrub stains off your grout, it’s fastest to simply remove the grout, then replace it with a nice, fresh application. This might take a few hours depending on how much grout needs to be replaced, but it’s a great way to make your home look clean and refreshed.
7. Add a wireless security system
Even if your home is in a quiet, safe area, home buyers like to see that sellers have taken the time to install proactive home security upgrades. This could be anything from an inexpensive Ring doorbell camera to a full 360° view of the home using Bluetooth-enabled cameras attached to motion-sensor lights.
Sell Your Home with the Dan Gemus Team
If you’re thinking of selling your home, it can be difficult to figure out what upgrades to prioritize without a real estate agent. Instead of choosing upgrades at random, a great real estate agent can help you determine what amenities have been selling well in the area, so you can make your choice accordingly.
The next time you have questions about what sells well in the Windsor-Essex County region, give the agents at the Dan Gemus team a call. We’d love to give you an update of what’s going on in the market, and help you make the upgrades that will give you the highest possible selling price for your home. Get in touch today!
