In today’s market, getting top dollar for your home does not require an expensive kitchen remodel or even a costly landscape redesign. Real estate experts claim your best strategy is to invest a bit of sweat equity into various simpler home upgrades. Ultimately these updates will boost the value and appeal of your home and also eliminate homebuyers’ biggest complaints and objections. Here are a few quick, but value-worthy tips to add significant value to your home without draining your pre-sale budget.

1. Replace Flooring

A good rule of thumb to follow is to replace any worn, outdated flooring with something more long-lasting and resilient. Ideally, the higher the upgrade, the higher your return on investment. However, if your budget will not allow for new flooring, at the very least, take up any stained or worn carpeting.

2. Neutral Color Schemes

How do your walls look? Potential homebuyers want to see freshly painted walls, especially ones with crisp, neutral color schemes that complement virtually any décor. By updating your walls with rich, contemporary, but neutral-based colors, you’ll attract and impress a wide range of buyers. Fresh and clean is the name of the game when it comes to selling your home for top dollar.

3. Update the Look of Your Front Door

A homebuyers’ first impression starts the minute they arrive in front of your home. What does your front door say? Does it look warm and welcoming? Or tired and uninspiring? Your front door can make a huge statement in terms of style and charm. Give it a fresh coat of paint that contrasts, yet complements, the rest of your home. Also, update the hardware if necessary to give it a polished, well-kept look.

4. Let There Be Light

Light is a very important aspect to consider when selling your home, therefore you should try to add it wherever possible. On the higher end of the budget, installing French doors, and on the lower end of the budget, adding a few mirrors, could both brighten up your space if it needs it. Depending on your budget, simply cleaning all the windows and changing to lighter, airy window treatments may just do the trick.

5. Add Storage

It’s not necessary to go overboard trying to incorporate more storage by designing an expensive customized closet system. Simple wire baskets and modest shelving are a great way to add some style while getting organized. Potential will appreciate and take into consideration during decision time the extra storage, so add and emphasize it wherever you can. If your cash flow can handle it, consider adding a closet in your entryway or even implementing a mudroom area.

6. Spruce Up Your Curb Appeal

Taking the time to address the outside of your home is every bit important as upgrading the inside. Probably the easiest and most clever way to entice more homebuyers is to enhance the visual appeal of your home’s façade. Clean, paint, or replace your mailbox and add new street numbers if necessary that correspond to the overall style of your home. Take a close look at your quality of landscaping and trim any unruly shrubs, remove all yard debris and cut the grass. Nothing says home like beautiful blossoming flowers. Arrange a few pots of attractive flowers near your front entryway or plant a variety along the path that leads to your front door. Neat and tidy curb appeal speaks volumes about the general appeal of your entire home.

If you have any further questions about selling your home this summer, please do not hesitate to contact us. For more tips and tricks about the selling process, a pre-sale checklist and how to avoid the biggest seller mistakes, check out our infographic below:

5 Biggest Home Sale Blunders and How to Avoid Them