Tips for Getting The Most Value for Your Property

Tips for Getting The Most Value for Your Property
With the Least Amount of Work

When doing market evaluations of homes, my Seller’s often ask me “ What can I do around my house to increase the value with the minimum amount of expense or work?” Keep in mind that what may be a small defect in the Seller’s mind, such as flaking paint on the base of a garage door frame may add up to thousands less in what a Buyer may offer. Inspect the exterior of your property, especially the trim. The Buyer’s first impression of your house is going to be the exterior when they drive by after seeing an ad. Is there debris around the yard that may distract the viewer from the home. If the exterior appears to need a lot of repair; it is likely they won’t set up an appointment view the interior.
Next the interior. Buyers always want more space. To make rooms look more spacious: Ask yourself these questions: Is there furniture I could store or remove? Can I store away visible items from any open shelves and living room coffee tables? Keep photos and wall decoration to a minimum. Also, the lighter the rooms, the bigger they look. Pull back heavy curtains, use higher watt bulbs and make sure there are sufficient lights to turn on during showings. Glue back down any loose vinyl floorings. Has a pet chewed the rug next to a door opening. Consider installing a threshold to cover defect and better secure the rug. They may be obtained at any hardware store. The biggest value for your dollar is white paint, it is a neutral color and still the most desirable. Water stains on the ceiling? Provided you have repaired the leak in the past; brush on some Kiltz or a similar product. It comes in white and is really the only effective way to cover the iron that leaches from the stain. It costs about $10 a gallon, needs no prep work and covers any stain, even on glossy surfaces. It is also useful for painting dark covered kitchen or bathroom cabinets to give a new brighter look. Light scratches on dark wood trim or window sills? Ask your hardware store for a brown wax pencil or use a simple dark crayon to fill the marks. All these things cost very little but will bring you back thousands.