Raising the resale value of your home doesn’t require you to drain your savings. There are plenty of easy upgrades you can make that are budget friendly. Often, you won’t need to hire a professional to do them, regardless of your level of handiness. Here are ten ways you can increase your home’s value without spending a fortune.
1. Give your home’s face a makeover.
No need to repaint the entire house. Instead, focus on the front door. Paint your front door and touch up any nicks or scrapes. Then, replace your house numbers. Choose something that stands out and reflects your home’s architectural style, if possible.
2. Tidy up the lawn with budget-friendly landscaping.
Your front lawn is the first thing prospective buyers will see. Make sure your grass is neatly trimmed, walkways are clear of dirt or leaves, and clean up your garden beds. You can hire a local company to handle lawn care or tree service for around $50 - $100 per hour in many areas, which is a small price to pay to make the entrance to your home shine.
3. Wash your windows inside and out.
Clear your Saturday to tackle this one. Get the grime, fingerprints, and smudges off your windows. Before selling, thoroughly wash your interior and exterior windows, screens, and windowsills. You can hire this out, of course, or do it yourself.
4. When in doubt, paint!
It’s incredible how fast a new coat of paint can transform a space. And interior paint only costs around $30 - $50 a gallon. Choose neutral, clean colors to brighten up bedrooms, hallways, and bathrooms with paint. You can smooth out chips in your drywall or patch up nail holes at the same time to make every wall look pristine.
5. Clean your carpets and hardwood floors.
You can rent a carpet cleaner from many home improvement retailers for around $30 a day. Depending on how much of your home is carpeted (and how long it’s been since you last cleaned it), it might make more sense to do it yourself than rent it out.
You could consider refinishing them for hardwood floors, but that could cost thousands of dollars if done professionally and many hours if done yourself. Instead, you can lightly sand and polish them for a partial refinish that will still make your floors shine.
6. Update interior and exterior hardware.
You can instantly modernize your home by replacing hardware such as light fixtures, sink faucets, light switch plates, and cabinet handles. New hardware is more affordable than you might think. Depending on your budget, you can choose to replace all the hardware in your kitchen and bathrooms or simply update light fixtures throughout your interior and exterior.
7. Install a backsplash. (No, really, it’s not that hard!)
Before you cringe at the idea of painstakingly installing tile and grout, hear us out. You can purchase backsplashes that are just one sheet of material. The most effort you’ll need to put into these types of backsplashes is measuring, cutting, and gluing. These backsplashes come in a variety of colors and patterns (tile, pebble, geometric, beadboard, granite), so you can choose a style that best complements your existing kitchen.
8. Freshen up your bathroom by recaulking.
After time, shower, sink, and bathtub caulk can turn downright gross. It cracks, it collects mildew, it gets discolored… You get the picture. Make your bathroom gleam simply by removing and recaulking these areas. It won’t take more than a couple of hours, and supplies cost $50 or less.
9. Give your wood deck new life.
Wood decks can deteriorate over time, especially if you aren’t routinely maintaining them. Power wash and scrub the wood boards to remove stains, grime, and algae, then apply a stain to preserve them. Your deck will look brand new, and it won’t cost much more than your time.
10. Do a walkthrough and fix tiny broken things.
Sounds simple, right? But it’s easy to let a leaky faucet or torn screen linger for years. Take the time to walk around your house and make a note of anything minor you can upgrade right away. As you chip away at this list, you’ll be amazed at how much better the whole house looks.
