Low budget upgrades you should make to your home right away are some of our top curb appeal tips!
So you want to upgrade your home, maybe you’re about to sell it, rent it out or maybe you’ve just moved in. Most people would love to do a full remodel on their home but unfortunately it’s not as easy & it’s certainly not cheap. So what are the most important upgrades you should make to your home especially if you’re on a small budget? Well, let’s dive into it.
Upgrading homes does not have to be a huge investment, but a lot of people mistakenly make upgrades that cost too much money and do not deliver returns. The least expensive curb appeal tips can make the biggest difference. They are not going to add hundreds of thousands to your home value but they are going to give your home a competitive advantage over other homes. This advantage means your home sells quickly and for the most beneficial terms. So lets go over some of these upgrades.
First is painting. Paint the inside and paint the outside. If painting the outside of the home is too costly, repaint the doors and window frames. It makes a huge difference and looks cleaner. Remember that the color counts. Choose colors that are neutral. It might feel very hard to not add an accent wall, but it is really important to have your home as close to a blank canvas as possible. This is a relatively easy upgrade that yields great returns in curb appeal
One of the biggest mistakes sellers make are in upgrades is in the kitchen. DO NOT UPDATE unless you are going to live in the house for five years. You will never recoup and completely remodeled kitchen. There are some easy smaller updates though that you can do. Repaint the cabinets, swap out the hardware on the cabinets, and swap to stainless steel appliances, if it is time to renew. These are updates that do hold value, and are nice for you while you live in the home. The same goes for bathrooms. Repaint vanities, change out the hardware, maybe replace shower heads, but again, these are updates that are going to make your home more attractive so just think curb appeal.
Now beyond curb appeal an update that we are seeing right now that really really helps is turning a bedroom or home area into a home office. We have a lot of people choosing to move to The Main Line since it is close to the cities but offers great schools and lots of outdoor space, but they need a home office. This upgrade you can take with you. Another upgrade relating to offices, replace lightswitch and power plates. Seems really simple, but these can be real eyesores. Especially in older homes on The Main Line. It really is an inexpensive upgrade that is so easy to do and makes a huge difference.
Another upgrade is turning bedrooms into closets. People are crazy for walk in closets and if you have the space, it makes a great staging piece. You only need some racks and shelves. Be sure not to install anything permanent, remember only things you can take with you to your new home.
Last, update your yard. This is another really contentious upgrade. What is too little, what it too much when it comes to updating your yard? I always recommend either painting or updating that you can take with you. Think portable fire pits, planters, and lounge staging furniture that works at your home or your future home. For landscaping the outdoor areas, either make it more cozy or more neat. Remove dead trees, be sure to have hedges trimmed neatly, repaint the mail box, and if you have sheds, make sure that those are repainted as well.
At the end of the day these upgrades are going to get your home sold faster. So think about them as part of the prelisting process. I have a huge amount of prelisting information on my website www.kimmyrolphrealestate.com and I also have dozens of videos on how to make the best of what you already have in your home. Basically, you are trying to get your home to be move in ready and ready for new owners to make updates themselves. Knocking down walls, major renovations, major landscaping, putting in a pool, all of that can be done by a new owner, and should not be undertaken if you are looking to move under 5 years.
I hope this has helped you, I know this is one of my favorite subjects because it really is amazing what these small tips can do for your curb appeal. If you are looking to buy or sell on The Main Line, please reach out. We have an incredible market right now for buyers and sellers and I would love to show you what is available. Remember Kimmy Rolph Sells The Main Line and Local Areas.
