What are some things that will make a house go up in resale value as far as remodeling?

Question

We are fixing up our house to sell and wanted to know what are the great highlights that make the value of the house go up. We have repainted and put up crown molding in some rooms. Will things like light fixtures and new appliances really make a difference? Any suggestions?

Answer 1

It sounds like you've gotten a good start. Cleaning, making minor repairs, painting, removing a lot of your possessions so the house looks bigger, and making your front entryway look inviting are all low cost things that have a lot of impact.

Beyond that, it really depends on how much you have to spend, with things like painting toward the lower end of the cost scale and things like remodeling bathrooms and kitchens at the upper end. It also depends on what the real estate market is like in your area.

If you're trying to get "maximum bang for the buck", it might pay to watch a program like "Sell This House" for awhile to get a feel for the kinds of things that people see as negatives. Then see if you can look at your house with fresh eyes.

One problem with spending a lot of money or effort on remodeling, in my opinion, is that the potential buyer may not have the same taste you do. For example, the wagon wheel-shaped light fixture that you think looks great over your country-style dining table may be an instant turnoff for a potential buyer who's into chrome and glass. On the other hand, if your appliances were last replaced in the 1950s and the chandelier looks like something out of the Addams Family, a trip to the local home improvement store might be in order.

Another thing to consider: although remodeling a kitchen will probably increase the resale value of your house, you may or may not see your sale price increase by the full price of the remodel. That is, if your house is worth $200,000 and you spend $20,000 redoing your kitchen, you may only be able to sell your house for $210,000 afterwards, not $220,000. Periodically newspapers publish lists of what percentage of money you get back from a remodel. I'm going to add one such link below, although it isn't as good as some such lists I've seen.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

Answer 2

Having renovated for profit several times myself the most important thing to remember is you are not going to live in it so it doesn't need to be decorated to your specific taste or standard.
It has to be asthetically pleasing to the eye, it should have a bit of a wow factor when you enter, i always stick to neutral colours with a feature wall, earthy tones are always safest, the most expensive parts to renovate are bathrooms/toilets and kitchens so if you can get away with some minor changes to these areas then the less money you will need to spend, You asked about new appliances, well that all depends on the condition of the present ones, how would you feel if you were viewing the house yourself, sometimes all they need is a good clean, light fittings are not expensive so if the old ones are horrors then i would change, but remember when people are viewing the house they don't see that much, all they are looking for is to see if it is clean, livable and can they move in without doing too much work themselves. I once bought a house that i viewed twice and didn't notice that they had painted over the light switches and had even painted over a cracked mirror on the wall!. Gardens are also a big selling feature, It also depends very much on what market you are trying to attract, is it first home buyers, investment, all will be looking for different features so the best thing to do is make it look fantastic without spending too much money. If you are planning to do this again then a good trick for the garden area is to put really healthy palnts in pots and have lots all sizes placed around and good looking garden furniture, that way you don't have to leave them. Avoid clutter , Giving the illusion of space. A mirror at the end of a hall way helps create this illusion to. If there is a particular area that is not the best, say a bathroom, put a really nice window treatment up and have really chic tioletries, a really good looking mirror,people will concetrate on them rather that the dodgy tiles on the floor. Hope this helps

Answer 3

Something that a lot of people look at is windows. Are your windows old? If they're not energy efficient that might be a turnoff to a potential buyer.

Check out Designed to Sell on HGTV. They also have a website: http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_hdts/. On Designed to Sell, a real estate expert walks around a house and tells the team what potential buyers won't like. The design team has to come up with solutions for less than $2000 total. If you click on some of the episodes, they show you before and after pictures.

Also, these articles have some good pointers:

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/ah_real_estate_selling/article/0,1801,HGTV_3165_3880755,00.html

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/ah_real_estate_selling/article/0,1801,HGTV_3165_3284514,00.html

And they do say that new light fixtures and new appliances make a difference. We lowered our offer on our house when we were buying it because we knew we would have to buy a fridge, stove, washer and dryer. You might be able to get good deals on floor model kitchen appliances or some on clearance that will look updated but not cost you an arm and a leg.

Good luck!

Answer 4

So far you've gotten lots of really great tips to help you. I suggest not putting too much MONEY into it or you'll feel like it was a waste. My parents tore out old 50's carpet and put new carpet in only to have the new owners rip that right out to finish the hardwood floor beneath. OUCH that hurt!! My parents were dirt poor and selected a gorgeous light-colored carpet that they loved in there!

I know when I go looking at houses for sale (I do this a lot for fun) I notice several things: 1. if it's been completely fixed up. I usually like to do some of my own work, so if it's just new walls over old wiring that's very frustrating to have to worry about. Also if they paint with different colors in each room drives me bonkers. I have MY own idea on what should be in the rooms. All neutrals is THE SAFEST. 2. the cleanliness. That's HUGE HUGE HUGE one. Try to make your home as **** n span as those you see in model homes and on TV designing shows. No extra anything. Have the floors and corners clear. Not too much on the walls, maybe one or two big pictures as focal points. No dust, no clutter, no smudges, no food, nothing. One smell that is safe to have is fresh baked cookie smell. You can buy candles that smell like this. It's a big turn-on for people walking in the door to smell this. yummy yummy. Sugar cookies are the best smelling ones.
3. LIGHTS. You don't have to have all brand new light fixtures, but update any cieling fans you may have and replace any broken glass ones. Replace all light bulbs for really bright ones and always during the day have all the shades open, curtains open, blinds open, even some windows wide open for fresh air, and have ALL the lights on. For some reason this is attractive. It makes the place feel safe, comfortable, homey, light and clean. 4. it better not be too hot or muggy either. That's really uncomfortable and all they'll think about is getting out of there.
5. no pets indoors, ever, period. No smoking inside. Hide all your personal preferences in drinks, cigs, meals, etc. It might ruin their "appetite" for your home.

My husband says new paint, new tile, new carpet. I say new flooring only if it really needs it. Somehow, though, people tend to like fresh neutral paint (not bright white), with white or off-white trim, and neutral tile that is bright and clean.
Clean all windows and mirrors so they shine, no cobwebs. etc.
Another BIG one is having solid-surface countertops. Neutrals, again. Those are a big deal to people now.

K,
I said A LOT more than I thought i would!!
Good luck!!

Answer 5

Your two main rooms are the bath and kitchen. Put new cupboards in the kitchen and counter tops. In the bath, it's the fixtures, like, sink, tub, shower, stool. Decent flooring through out is a plus too. New appliances are a plus in kitchen also. Good windows and doors. Make sure your roof and foundation are in good order. Your lawn should be attractive, clean from debris, and too many toys. Bushes trimmed. Not too many personal items out on the inside or outside of house, people can't visualize what it would look like to them with their possesions if it's over-crowded.

Answer 6

Your first goal is to make the room look large and clean. Your bathroom and kitchen are a focal point to the buyer for usability. The rest for asthetics. Light fixtures that are clean lines, place light on focal areas, and clean bright windows all add the the light factor of the home.
Appliances that remain will be looked at for clean and usable. Truth- most buyers are going to replace them of their own taste, so don't update unless there is a flaw in the appliance.
Keep your walls neutral. Window treatments should be clean and simple.
Curb appeal. Curb appeal. Curb appeal. (Did I mention this enough?)
It is always a good idea to see what Designed to Sell on A&E as well as Sell This House on HGTV offer. They have websites in addition to the show.

Answer 7

I dont think light fixtures would make too much of a difference. I've heard that retouching up your kitchen is a must to increase the value. Things like, changing a few of the cabinet doors to the glass (modern) style and adding new appliances.

Answer 8

Light Fixtures, updating the electrical switches, cleaning the filters and grills (for air intake and outlets), clean appliances, swapping out the awful wall-to-wall carpeting for wood or tile flooring (and it can be a DIY project -- I've done it DIY), and just making sure your yard (and front lawn) is neat and clean -- and that means the lawn is mowed, the shrubs are trimmed back or shaped, leaves are raked up, and even a pot of flowers on the entry patio is a good thing.

Answer 9

Think about lighting. I've seen people go to the work of putting in nice marble counter tops, but the lighting was so poor it didn't seem to show the value. Sometimes it's just changing to a different bulb.

Update and refresh - that's the simple answer.

Answer 10

Updated light fixtures, flooring, counter-tops,appliances make a huge difference. People today don't have time to "fix-it-up", so if it's already done, they'll pay your asking price. Haven't you seen those house flipping shows on TV?