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You don’t have to spend a fortune on expensive upgrades to enhance the appeal of your home and make it more attractive to prospective buyers. With a little resourcefulness and creativity the following ideas can cost very little and yet make a dramatic difference.
1. Repair and replace. Patch up cracks and holes in walls. Fix or change broken light switches, door handles and screens. Replace or re-grout any broken, stained or loose tiles in the kitchen or bathroom.
2. Paint to refresh. A fresh coat of paint is an easy, cost-effective way to brighten up a room. As a general rule, avoid bold colors and stick with light, neutral tones like off-white or beige to make your home as appealing as possible to the widest range of potential buyers.
3. Refinish flooring. Are your wood floors showing their age? Sand them down and refinish them, or paint them a neutral color. Have your carpets professionally cleaned and replace any that are very worn or permanently stained.
4. Update hardware. Modernize the look of your kitchen and bathroom instantly with new stainless steel knobs, drawer pulls, towel racks and hooks. Save money by repainting, instead of replacing, dated kitchen cabinets.
5. Buy new fabrics. Fresh new curtains, lampshades and colorful throw pillows can transform the look of any room. New bedding and duvet covers can also punch up a bedroom. And a fresh new shower curtain can drastically improve the look of a bathroom.
6. Hang mirrors. Trick the eye by hanging a mirror to widen a narrow room or hallway. Expand the space further by positioning a mirror on the wall, kitty-corner, at the same height.
7. Modernize lighting. Swap in a modern, stainless steel lighting fixture in place of an outdated chandelier to give a room a contemporary look. Install dimmer switches on overhead lighting to enhance mood.
8. Display contemporary art. You can give your home a unique, artsy look even if you’re not artistically inclined yourself. Make black-and-white photocopies of your favorite family photos and insert them into new, contemporary frames. Black-and-white always looks timeless.
9. Add greenery. Add a touch of green to your home by purchasing a few low-maintenance indoor plants from your local greenhouse. Group the pots together for maximum visual impact. A two-tier herb garden in your kitchen can be easily installed on glass shelves across a sunny windowsill to bring in a touch of the outdoors.
10. Create a grand entrance. Replace rusty house numbers, drab porch lights and frayed doormats with new ones. Rejuvenate a tired-looking front door with fresh paint or stain. And place a planter of colorful flowers by the entrance.
When you’re finished, you will be the proud owner of a clean, modern-looking, desirable home that potential buyers will easily be able to picture themselves living in. All you have to do is sit back and wait for the right offer to come your way.
Published on March 22, 2007Read full article at realestate.com