Are you interested in selling a home quickly and for the best sales price available? If so, we recommend stepping back and taking an objective look at how your home appears to others from the exterior and interior views.
You may find a few key upgrades make all the difference in attracting homebuyers ready to make an offer after the open house.
7 Smart Upgrades To Consider Before Selling a Home
Connecting with an experienced local Realtor is the best way to gain an objective, market-savvy perspective on how your home appears and feels in the current real estate market. However, here in DeLand and the greater Volusia county region, we notice the top-selling houses include most, if not all, of these appealing home upgrades.
1. A fresh coat of paint
Unless you’ve repainted your home’s interior in the past year, and the exterior in the past three to five years, we can almost guarantee a fresh coat of paint will increase buyer appeal.
Take a look around the exterior and interior of your home and ask yourself the following questions:
- Does it appear dull or drab?
- Are there visible scuffs, stains, marks, or deep scratches or marring?
- Is the paint peeling or flaking?
- Are colors outdated or more bold than neutral?
- Are there signs of overall wear and tear?
If the answer to any of these is yes, you’re definitely in need of a paint touch-up if not a full overhaul.
ROI: Studies show repainting a house that needs it increases sales prices by as much as 1% to 3%, typically meaning more than a 100% ROI – especially if you tackle the easy painting on your own.
2. A home office space
People are working from home more than ever before. Global Workplace Analytics stats show that the number of work-from-home employees is up 150% since 2009, and the pandemic is a big reason for that increase. Even companies that have employees back in the office after the pandemic are more likely to allow hybrid work schedules.
As a result, most working adults are in the market for a home office space. In some cases, it might make sense to stage an extra bedroom as a home office, so prospective buyers see that as a possibility. In others, you may find a nook, loft space, or tucked away corner where you can create a micro-home office space – ideal for those who have a hybrid position and may not be interested in giving up one of the bedrooms for the cause.
ROI: A designated home office space can increase a home’s sales price by up to $10,000 or more, which more than pays for any money invested in its creation.
3. The outdoors as an extension of the home
Are your backyard and patio spaces welcoming and comfortable? Do they feel like an extension of the home’s livable square footage? If not, there are many affordable ways to make it appear as if the family almost lives outdoors during the mild weather months.
This includes creating:
- Lots of room for lounging comfortably
- A variety of elements, including a water feature, fire pit, stone or paver work, and beautiful landscaping.
- Landscaping (you’d be amazed what container landscaping can do for a porch, walkway, or patio – and you can take the planted containers with you when you leave)
- Pet- and kid-friendly areas
- Outdoor kitchen and dining features
- Ambient lighting
4. Replacing an old front door or garage door
Today’s homebuyers aren’t as interested in maintaining exterior wood features, especially given these past two decades of record storm conditions. Replacing an existing wood front door with a metal version increases stability, weatherproofing, and insulation value while reducing maintenance requirements.
Similarly, old or outdated garage doors are also worth replacing. At the very least, you may want to have a service technician inspect the system fixing any loud noises, squeaks, or creaks for smoother, quieter operation.
ROI: Over the past five years, replacing an outdated front door with an insulated, metal door counterpart reclaims anywhere from 65% to 91% of its value – while contributing to faster home sales (especially when combined with other replacement or storm proofing updates). The same is true for new garage doors, which often see an ROI of 133%.
5. Roof replacement
If you live in a home that is 15 years old or older, you’ll need to replace the roof or seriously lower the asking price so buyers have what they need to replace it after escrow closes. Unfortunately, Florida homeowner’s insurance carriers often won’t insure a home with a roof that is 15 years or older. And depending on the roof’s status, carriers can also deny you coverage or hike up the premium prices – only providing premium breaks with proof of repair or replacement by a licensed roofing contractor.
ROI: According to Zillow.com, the average ROI on an asphalt shingle roof is around 68%. While sellers may not recoup the total expense, they’re more likely to get the full asking price, lower time on the market, and smoother negotiations.
6. Storm-proofing
Along those same lines, today’s buyers are interested in homes with updated storm-proofing – including wind mitigation features. So if you live in a home that is 15 years older or more and haven’t replaced the roof, doors, or windows, or ensured that wind mitigations are in place, now’s the time to update.
As with roofs, Florida insurance carriers offer the best insurance prices to houses with updated home systems and adequate storm-proofing measures in place.
ROI: Assuming you don’t have to replace the roof or another major home system, the cost of weather-proofing a Florida home can be as little as $1000, but buyers will be far more eager to hear the house is as safe as it can be.
7. Spruce up kitchens and baths
You’d be amazed at how affordable it is to reface kitchen cabinets and replace countertops. If the kitchen is outdated, the combination of new cabinets, countertops, and paint has remarkable appeal. On the other hand, if you feel the cabinets and countertops are in good shape, consider replacing outdated lighting or plumbing fixtures.
ROI: Partial kitchen remodels can reap an ROI of 71%, while bathroom spruce-ups may yield an ROI of around 60%.
Selling a Home This Year? Work With Southern Exclusive Realty
Are you selling a home this year? Work with Southern Exclusive Realty to learn exactly which upgrades are worth investing in. You deserve a quick, profitable, and smooth real estate experience, and that’s precisely what we deliver.
