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Are you looking to sell your house on Long Island?
Like any sensible seller, you’ll want it to sell as quickly and for as much money as possible, right?
Thankfully, anybody selling their Long Island home’s already in a good position. The market’s still hot, with median house prices continuing to rise.
Even better, a shortage in listings is driving prices up even further. Earlier this year there were only 13,000 homes for sale, compared to the 32,000 available in 2008. House prices are at a record high.
All the same, you should think about making some easy home upgrades.
There’s no point resting on your laurels. Assuming your house will sell quickly and for top dollar is a recipe for disappointment. It makes sense to do what you can to maximize your chances of success.
Home improvements are often the best way to do it. Even better, a little can go a long way. A few simple updates can have buyers chomping at the bit to buy your home. Sound good?
Keep reading to discover the easiest home upgrades to add value to your house.
1. Paint the Front Door
One of the easiest ways to add value to your home is to paint the front door.
Why? Because first impressions make all the difference. More to the point, you have to make a positive first impression as quickly as possible. On average, people make them within a measly 7 seconds. That’s a minuté amount of time to shed your home in a favorable light.
The front door’s crucial in this endeavor as it’s one of the first things people see. The yard plays a key role for the same reason (more on this later).
You want someone to enter your home feeling positive about it. A beautiful front door can be key to doing it. For example, a black-painted front door can increase a house’s value by over $6,200.
That’s a mighty financial difference for a quick lick of paint.
2. Paint the Walls
The same applies for inside the house as well.
When was the last time you redecorated your house? Chances are high that is was some time ago. If that’s the case, then the state of your painted walls could be looking shabbier than you’d like.
A fresh coat of paint never goes amiss. It’s a quick and inexpensive way to restore your walls to former glory. You can cover marks, chips and other signs of wear and tear.
In so doing, a simple lick of paint can breathe a new lease of life into the space. It looks as good as new. Talk about an easy home upgrade!
It’s important to think about the color though. You might like your bright yellow walls. People looking to buy a house probably won’t. It’s best to repaint in neutral colors instead. Look to create a blank canvas for prospective buyers. Doing so will help them picture themselves in the space.
Here are more tips on how to sell your house fast.
3. Add a Bedroom
A quick way to add massive value to a house is to create a new bedroom for it.
The rule of thumb is simple: more bedrooms equals more money. An extension to your house is one way to do it, but it’s far from easy or inexpensive.
A discount alternative is to convert another room into a bedroom space. You might have a study, library, or a storage area somewhere. Think about clearing out its current furnishings and adding a bed, desk and wardrobe.
Voila, say hello to your new bedroom! You can now market your property accordingly and attract more attention (and money) as a result.
4. Convert Other Rooms
Let’s stay on the subject of reinventing rooms for a second.
We’ll repeat: you don’t have to add square footage to a property to gain an extra room. We just saw how you can miracle a bedroom out of nothing just by converting another area.
Why stop at bedrooms? Think about the space in your house and its current functionality. There could be an attic, garage or a basement to put to use, or a cubby hole failing to meet its true potential.
These kinds of spaces can be gold-dust for a property. With minimal expenditure you can turn them into a prized part of the house. Create a second living-room, a bar, a game room, a gym, a nursery, or a study.
It doesn’t matter. Any ‘new’ room you add can make your home more attractive to buyers; they’ll pay more money for the privilege. A little creative thinking makes this an easy home upgrade.
5. Add a Bathroom
Bathrooms are another valuable asset to a house.
Again, look to those underutilized areas of the house.
If you have time, inclination, and money, then add another to the property. Now, this isn’t the simplest of updates. However, it might be one of the most valuable, leading to a possible 80% ROI at sale. Now, you don’t recoup the full value of the bathroom that way.
You do, however, get a large chunk back. Even better, you make the property far more appealing in the process. Say hello to a swifter sale and higher valuation.
The true investment of time and money depends on the scale of the job. A full-bath is the whole shebang, with sink, toilet shower and bathtub. That, of course, will be a lot of work.
A half bath might be a more viable alternative. With easy access to your plumbing system, adding a sink and a toilet can be easier thank you think.
6. Remodel the Kitchen
A kitchen remodel is another classic way to add value to a property.
Kitchens sit at the core of any house. It’s a main room that serves a vital function; people will spend a significant amount of time there. A modern and well-designed kitchen can persuade buyers to part with their cash.
Unfortunately, a full remodel is anything but simple. Just like house extensions, they’re time-consuming, expensive and require expert help to complete.
Nicely, it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you think. You can change the look and feel of a kitchen in a few basic steps. Painting walls and cupboards, installing new fixtures and faucets, and updating old appliances with energy-efficient ones all make a difference.
You can transform the space for a few hundred dollars.
A final word on kitchen remodels: avoid going overboard if you’re planning on moving soon. You’ll never recoup the cost. A space you’ve customized to your own needs and desires becomes less appealing to others. Stick to quality, generic goods that anybody will enjoy.
7. Replace Tired Flooring
Don’t forget your floors.
It’s easy to do. After all, you’re unlikely to spend your time casting a critical eye over the state of your carpets. Those once plush carpets will have worn down with use. They might look and feel shabby and outdated.
The last thing a buyer wants is to have to replace the flooring. Save them the hassle by doing it in advance.
Now, this isn’t an inexpensive home upgrade; replacing carpets in an entire house can cost thousands of dollars. If money’s a factor, then focus on areas that are most worn and on rooms that get the most use.
Again, like the colors of your walls, neutral carpet colors are best for appealing to the most people. Stick with styles and shades that are in keeping with the rest of the house too.
8. Install Energy-Efficient Windows
Energy-efficiency and “green” are the buzzwords of the day.
People are more concerned with both the environment and their bank balance than ever before. There’s no room for old, energy-inefficient windows in a property anymore.
Their poor insulator qualities haemorrhage money like nothing else. As you well know, the house is like a freezer in winter and a sauna in summer. Your utility bills are extorbitanat in compensating for the discomfort.
Buyers are savvy about the issue and will inspect the quality of your windows. Seeing high-quality energy-efficient panes in place is a mighty boon. You’ll recoup a large percentage of the investment of installing them thanks to the ensuing rise in house value.
9. Adding Energy-Efficient Insulation
Here’s another energy-efficiency-related idea:
Update your old insulation to make it more energy-efficient. The incentives are two-fold. First, you’ll save masses on your utility bills, meaning the insulation pays for itself in time.
Houses lose significant amounts of heat through the attic, meaning more energy is required to heat the property. New insulation solves the problem, leading to less energy use and financial savings. You’ll enjoy hundreds of extra dollars in your pocket every year.
More to the point, so will the new homeowners!
Go to the effort of detecting your thermal leaks in the house. Obvious clues come from drafts and areas of cold; more subtle issues can be found using special detectors.
Check your power sockets, around doors and windows, and in the basement and attic space. Seal any leaks and update old insulation. It shouldn’t take too long or cost excessive sums of cash.
10. Give It a Clean
Perhaps the easiest home upgrade you can do is to simply deep clean it. The cleanliness of a property makes a world of difference in attracting a buyer.
Would you want to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a dirty, grime-filled house?
No, of course not. Cast a critical eye over your home and consider the last time you had it deep-cleaned. If you’re getting ready to sell, then now’s the time to do it. Showing somebody a sparkling clean house is one of the simplest ways to increase its value.
An added bonus is that it often reveals hitherto hidden maintenance issues. Finding them early can prevent unhelpful hiccups down the line.
Keeping a clean property also serves a helpful preventative purpose. Grime and dirt accumulate over time and cause serious hygiene problems. For example, mold and mildew can gather, causing all sorts of health complications.
Prospective buyers won’t be impressed if they spot anything of that nature. Do yourself a favour and keep your house sparkling clean instead.
11. Add a Decking Area
Let’s turn our attention to the garden, beginning with a decking area.
Everybody loves a deck! In good weather, there’s nothing better than gathering with friends and family for an evening meal or get together.
If you’ve got enough space in the yard, adding one will stimulate greater interest and excitement in prospective buyers. It needn’t be extravagant. Even a small deck space can make a big difference.
12. Improve the Lawn
Curb appeal starts at your front lawn and mailbox.
It literally pays to pull out all the stops to keep your garden in pristine condition.
Remember, you want to make a good first impression. Don’t, and that negative sentiment will follow a prospective buyer around the house. Even worse, bad initial impressions discolor the perception of the rest of the viewing.
A large part of the process is showing people that you’ve cared for the property. An overgrown, dishevelled garden with a patchy lawn and weed-filled flower beds fails in that regard.
Get on top of your garden maintenance. Mow the lawn, clear away any debris, create clear edges, spread fresh mulch, and shape your hedges. Don’t have the time? You’re sure to find a dozen garden companies who’ll happily help out for a fee.
Time to Try These Easy Home Upgrades
Anyone selling their house wants to hand over the keys quickly and for as much money as possible.
Thankfully, that eventuality is more than possible in Long Island anyway. The current housing market is such that demand far outweighs supply. The shortage of listings has created a long list of eager buyers willing to pay top dollar.
Nonetheless, it never hurts to go the extra mile, just in case. Making a number of easy home upgrades is a great way to get the best possible price.
Hopefully, this post has highlighted a selection of ideas to help you do exactly that.
Would you like support selling your house in Long Island? Click here to learn more about how we can be of service, and to get in touch.
