Many homeowners have a list of improvements they would love to make to their home, but often ask us, “What improvements should I prioritize to enjoy now and affect resale later?”
There are a lot of ways to renovate or make updates on your home that will help raise the sales price. Some are big investments in time and money and others are just small touches to help freshen up your home.
Let’s start with a couple of major renovations ideas that consistently please homeowners as well as homebuyers:
Fully renovated kitchen: The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where the day starts with a cup of coffee and most days end with dinner and preparation for the next day’s adventures. When a buyer enters a home, one of the first places that they’ll walk is to the kitchen. A major kitchen renovation includes floors, cabinetry, countertops, new appliances, and lighting, as well as a reconfiguration of the kitchen’s layout to include an island, breakfast nooks, and more when possible. A brand new kitchen can add thousands of dollars to the price of your home!
Updated bathrooms: Your bathroom(s) are a good place to invest when thinking about the resale price of your home. When updating bathrooms you want to focus on a few major items: Flooring, vanity, sinks, lighting, storage, and the shower/tub. The key to making a bathroom worth a major renovation is maximizing the space. You can do this by focusing on a lighter color scheme with your larger items (flooring, tile, paint, vanity, toilet, shower/tub) and adding simple accessories like an eye-catching mirror and a storage space to avoid having too much “stuff” sitting out.
There are also options that will help you update your home without breaking the bank or spending a ton of time being overwhelmed with a full renovation. These can include:
New floors: Refinish your existing floors or replace them with new ones. LVP, or luxury vinyl plank is huge right now!
A new backsplash in the kitchen to freshen up the space and make it feel more modern.
Replace your interior doors: 4 or 6 panel doors give a modernized feel when walking through a hallway!
Replace or paint your exterior door(s): Go for a pop of color or add a front door that has large windows to make the home feel more modern and refreshed.
Paint your main living spaces: Check out our D&C team blog from February for color ideas!
Take this to another level and add texture to your walls- Simple projects like wainscoting and board and batten designs can add dimension to the space!
Add new light fixtures throughout the house: Simple and modern styles like natural materials, black and brass finishes, or using lighting as the focal point of a room with a bold chandelier or pendant light.
Choose one or two items from the kitchen/bathroom major renovation list!
For example, replace the kitchen and bathroom countertops, paint your existing kitchen cabinets instead of replacing them, install new kitchen appliances, install new bathroom accessories, or add new vanity.
Update your landscaping: This could range anywhere from new plants and fresh mulch to adding new beds, planting mature bushes/trees, building hardscape that can be enjoyed year round, etc. to give the exterior of your home a revived look!
When preparing for making improvements in your home, do what works best for you and your budget. Remember that a little attention and a refresh goes a long way!
