If you're considering selling your Portland home property this year you might be wondering about renovations and remodels that could increase the value of your home and help it sell quicker. While every home is different and what buyers and sellers see in a home can vary greatly, here are some items you may want to consider adding value to before listing your property.
Are there enough bathrooms?
Depending on the age of the home, many older homes may only have one or one and a half baths. Buyers are looking for a little bit more than that depending on how many rooms the home has in total. Typically for every 1 1/2 to 2 bedrooms, one bathroom is plenty. For homes that have four or more bedrooms, it's best to have 2.5 or three bathrooms or more. If you're unsure where an additional bathroom could be created to speak to a local remodeling expert and get a consultation on price and how much it would increase the value of your home.
Updated kitchen.
Many buyers are looking for updated kitchens with all the latest bells and whistles. Granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, pristine flooring and upgraded cabinetry are all on the list for home buyers these days. While you may not be able to complete all of the tasks, simply adding granite countertops for new appliances can work wonders for potential buyers.
Read more: 3 Things You Need to Be Doing If You Plan on Listing Your Home
New flooring.
Whether it's carpet, tile or hardwood, new flooring can take years off the age of the house. New flooring is often expected in new listings and can really add a professional sense of cleanliness, freshness and life. Consider bathrooms with new linoleum or professional tile, hardwood in the kitchen and dining room, and carpets in the bedroom. At the very least get your carpets cleaned well!
Fresh landscaping.
It's amazing what a fresh landscaping job can do for the external photographs of your home. Fresh mulch, trimmed back bushes and colorful flowers add a pop and charm to the curb appeal of any house. If you have trees or shrubs that are over growing stairways, garages, the side of the house or sidewalks, it's time to trim back or have them completely removed and start over. Remember, you're competing with model showrooms that have professional landscaping that just went in.
Related: How Long Does it Take to Sell a Portland Home?
New paint inside and out.
This is where your budget will really come into play. Find where you can spend the right amount of money with touchups or a complete overhaul of the paint inside and out. If you have just a little bit of funds for this type of update you might consider painting just the trim and the front door on the exterior part of the house. If interior walls are scuffed or paint is missing, it's time to give them a fresh coat to really liven and freshen up the room.
Read more: Unconventional Selling Tactics
Again, every home is different and for specifics on your particular Portland area home or property give me a call. I would be happy to walk through your home offering tips and suggestions on what buyers are looking for and what should change before listing.