Want to know how to sell your home fast? In addition to staging it properly (including the pre-steps of cleaning, decluttering, depersonalizing, and organizing), another thing you can do is some remodeling! But which areas in your home should you remodel? Do you know where to put your money for the greatest return when selling your home?
We’ve got you covered. Here are the two rooms to put your money into remodeling and renovating before your home goes on the market: the kitchen and the bathrooms. The two most expensive rooms are the rooms buyers care about the most, go figure! The kitchen should always be a priority, then the bathrooms come next. But before you start remodeling, you need to do your research.
If you are thinking about remodeling any areas in your home for a better return investment, run through your options with your realtor. They can help you figure out which area is the best bang for your buck. Your realtor can tell you if remodeling is even needed in your home.
Why Remodel?
Sellers need to consider if remodeling is an option for them. The only time you really need to remodel is if an area in your home will hold you back from getting an offer. Buyers do not want to put the time and money into remodeling any spaces on their new home purchase. Even buyers who are looking for a ‘fixer upper’ a lot of times mean fixing up cosmetics in the home. Not entire areas.
Remodeling can be a great benefit for homeowners. Sellers who remodel often receive more than the asking price on their home and sell their home faster. Remodeling also adds value to your house. Before you decide on what to do, take a look at other homes on the market in your price range and see what the inside of the homes look like. Do your market research with your realtor to see if remodeling any rooms in your home will equal a higher sell price for your home.
The good news is, you may not need to overhaul your entire kitchen or bathroom. You might be able to get away with a few improvements and repairs, so renovating your house may be your best option. Go for the smallest investment that will generate the greatest return. Make a budget and don’t spend more than you want to. Stick to your budget for your remodeling/renovation project.
Remodeling Your Kitchen
Before you decide if you’re going to remodel or renovate your kitchen, you need a plan. Ask your realtor what kind of kitchens are hot on the market. You want to remodel for the buyer’s taste, not your own, in order to reap the benefits of your remodeling investment.
Remodeling your kitchen can cost a fortune if you don’t have a timeframe and budget. Call in the professionals to make sure that you get the result you want. A common kitchen remodeling is knocking out a wall to create a more functional and open space. Talk to your realtor about your best options and be sure you hire someone who can take care of this for you.
Normally you don’t have to remodel the entire kitchen unless it’s a poorly spaced room. If your kitchen doesn’t need a complete overhaul, you may be able to renovate it instead of remodeling! Renovating consists of repairing and restoring a space, while remodeling is changing the construction. So if you can renovate, it will be cheaper!
The first things buyers see when they walk into a kitchen are the countertops and cabinets. So these are the first spaces you want to concentrate on. Get creative. See if you can repair any cabinets instead of completely replacing them.
A new paint color on the cabinets might be all you need to spruce up the space. Or, you may simply want to change out the hardware for an updated look. Make sure you select neutral colors that all buyers will be attracted to. You can also change out the backsplash to create a different environment in your kitchen.
After the kitchen countertops and cabinets you want to focus on the kitchen appliances. New appliances can be costly, so make sure that you will get your money’s worth for the upgrades installed. There are a few other things you can do in your kitchen to change the space if purchasing new appliances isn’t cost effective.
Putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls will make a world of difference in your kitchen. Go for light, neutral colors since they open up the space. Make sure that all holes are fixed and that your paint color ties in well with the kitchen counters, backsplash, and cabinets.
Lighting is a key part of sprucing up any area, so be sure you take care of the lights in your kitchen! Either change light fixtures, or simply add stronger bulbs to brighten up the space. A bright kitchen can do wonders.
Remodeling Your Bathroom
Remodeling your bathroom would mean completely changing the space, not just the cosmetics. Remodeling would include changing any pipes and rerouting them. Hopefully this won’t be needed, but if you need to add a sink, shower, tub, or even a washer or dryer to a space, then remodeling is your best bet.
Just like with the kitchen, hire professionals when remodeling. You want someone who knows how to design the space correctly and make sure the job gets done on time and within budget. If remodeling sounds too extensive for your bathroom space, then renovating is your best bet.
Renovating a bathroom is fixing it cosmetically. It even includes changing out sinks or toilets. Some of this you can do some of this yourself, but if you want the projects done on time and correctly, hand it over to the professionals.
The main areas that buyers will be looking at are the countertops and shower area. New cabinets and hardware may be needed. The vanity is also a popular spot that buyers turn their eyes to. If needed, replace the flooring in your bathrooms for a more upgraded feel.
You’d be surprised how many minor things you can do to change the feel of your bathroom. The biggest improvement can simply be to fix up the walls and have them repainted. When you fix holes and marks in the walls and repaint a light, neutral color, it can make your entire bathroom feel more spacious and relaxing!
Some other small things you can do are install new towel racks, add new caulk to your shower, tub, and toilet, and change out dim lights for brighter ones! Buyers love bright bathrooms, and with neutral walls the space will feel completely transformed.
As you can see, whether you remodel or renovate your bathroom, a lot of time and effort (and money) can be spent! Make sure you have the correct team to help you tackle your bathrooms so you can see the return investment you planned!
Rules for Remodeling or Renovating Your Home
Rules when remodeling? Never spend more on your remodels than will add value to your home. Be sure that remodeling will help you sell your home faster and for above your asking price. If renovating is more cost effective, then don’t remodel entire areas. Remember to do whatever will generate the biggest return for the least amount of money.
Whether or not you decide to remodel or renovate your home, you aren’t done just quite yet! While an updated home will be more appealing to buyers, you still need to take care of the basics. Make sure you clean, declutter and stage your home to get it market ready.
If you want a complete guide on how to sell your home, click on this post. Here are some posts for more information to help you get your home ready to sell:
How to clean your home
How to declutter your house
How to organize your house
How to stage your home
