can anyone give me some ideas about how to spruce my house up to sell it without spending a ton of $?

Question

I have a very cute 2 beddroom 1 bath home. I am trying to fix it up to sell without spending a ton of cash. Any ideas appreciated. Should I spend more money on the inside or out? Colors most people prefer for paint? Carpet or Hardwood?

Answer 1

We just sold our house. It was in good condition, but we spent about 2 weeks sprucing it up and sold it in a day!

Get rid of weird colors. I love bright colors, but I didn't want our house to be known as the "purple bathroom house." It was time to "neutralize!" Beige is not always best and fresh paint is cheap and gives you a lot of "bang for your buck." Sherwin Williams sells a color called "Blonde." People love it. Our agent suggested we use it and you would not believe all the comments I got!

Check the "sight lines" of every room. Make sure when someone enters a room there is nothing right near the door or blocking their line of sight to the other side of the room or focal point. Remove lamps, tables, etc that block. This makes rooms look bigger.

Fix things that are "works in progress." We all have projects in our homes we intended to do. If you have any unfinished ones, do them now. Unfinished things makes it look like you are a careless homeowner and makes buyers wonder what else isn't done.

Clean the floors you have. Unless your flooring is a mess or an off-putting shade or color, I would simply clean what is there.

Watch your pennies. Lots of real estate agents can tell stories where someone painted a room or fixed a hole in a roof and thought it justified a $10,000 increase in asking price. Remember, people EXPECT a roof that keeps water out and walls with paint on them. Don't splurge on fixing too much up now. Chances are unless you are redoing a bath or kitchen, you will not make your money back.

These are the best pieces of advice I have for you. For more, check out the Coldwell Banker site (www.coldwellbanker.com) there are articles there will give you more advice. I also found "For Sale By Owner" books at my library that had great advice on this top.

Hope this helps! -- Nicole

Answer 2

As a Realtor, I look at several things... first of all, get rid of the knick-knacks! People hate junky looking homes. Even a lot of personal photos can make a house look too cluttered. Get rid of clutter.

If you are painting, try to stick with neutral colors -- taupes, tans, whites, even very light yellows. If done right, some reds can be nice, but that is a judgment call. I would stick with lighter neutrals.

If there are hard woods under carpets, make sure you disclose that information to buyers. It is a personal choice -- but many people I see at open houses are asking about hardwood flooring these days.

Bottom line -- keep things simple, elegant. A nice arrangement of flowers on a table can make the whole place pop! Get rid of clutter. People don't want to think that the place is cramped. If you can't find storage, where will they find it?

Curb appeal is important. A few containers with plants and do wonders for a home. Also -- if the outside looks a little sparce, plant a couple bushes near the front of the house. Keep the lawn mowed and manicure the edges. You might even hang some colorful flowers near the porch, if you have one. Keep it simple, but make it appealing to the eye.

I hope that helps. Good luck selling your home.

Answer 3

The success of any decorating scheme depends on how well it suits all the members of your family. To create a décor that you will be happy with, think about what you want and also what you don’t want.

It’s a good idea to know what you have before you begun to change things. As you begin to pull your design ideas together, think about your preference and what will work in your home.

Color can work wonders... it can change the look of a room and change your feeling about the room. You can start by looking through magazines, and catalogs. Give yourself plenty of time, it will take longer than you think, and your ideas will develop as you go.

Gathering samples is a great way to begin. If you are starting with a color, your samples might include fabric, paint chips, wallpaper, carpet, wood, stone, and tile.

Knowing what you can spend on a project will give you a clearer idea of what you can achieve. If you’ll on a limited budget, mark off those things that will make the most difference, such as a new wall color and a new sofa.

You can set the mood of a room in lots of ways, such as lights, and furnishings. There are no hard or fast rules or must-do sequence for this process.

Answer 4

Paint all the rooms in a neutral color, most people like hard wood , but if you have carpet and its in good shape ,just a good cleaning will do nicely. This would be a good starter home for a young couple, or a nice home for retired couple providing their is not a lot of yard to take care of. Good luck on selling.

Answer 5

Soothing yet neutral paint colors. I would put in a neutral carpet, like a beige. As far as the outside I would keep it clean and crisp with a few flowers. colorful, yet simple.

Good luck

Answer 6

First make sure it is energy efficiant , roof, windows, and furnace are your top 3 priorities, nuetral colors, and i like hardwood floors they dont hold mold spores dust etc.

Answer 7

Go to Lowes.com, they've got a good site foreasy ways to increase the value of your home before you sell it.