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Preparing a home for sale means making improvements that will help you sell the home faster--not necessarily fetch a higher price.
The objective is to take on easy cosmetic jobs, such as brushing on a fresh coat of paint or careful landscaping, rather than remodeling projects where you are unlikely to recoup your costs.
For example, you may think that remodeling the kitchen is your best bet. While the kitchen is one of the high-profile rooms in a home, remodeling is a costly endeavor that will most likely not provide an adequate return on your investment. When in doubt about what to fix up, ask your Realtor. He or she will be looking at your home with fresh eyes and will notice things you overlook.
Here's a room-by-room list of improvements, along with jobs to avoid because they require too much investment in time or money.
Bathroom
Do:
* Remove stains from toilets, tubs and sinks.
* If fixtures are outdated or leak, replace them.
* Replace the shower curtain.
* Inspect, repair and replace any worn out grout in tiles.
* Caulk all joints for a watertight seal.
Don't:
* Replace the flooring unless it's damaged.
* Re-tile unless it can't be patched or repaired.
Kitchen
Do:
* Make sure the faucet works properly, shuts off quickly and looks good. Repair or replace as needed.
* Keep the sink spotless. If you can't remove stains, consider replacing the sink with a more modern look. Quality porcelain sinks made with cast iron are a good choice since they're available in many colors, are quiet and stand up well over time. If you replace the sink, you may as well update the faucet at the same time--you'd be surprised how much this will improve the look of a kitchen.
* Clean the appliances and make sure they're in good working order.
* Clean the cabinets. If they're dark, consider repainting them to give the entire kitchen a fresh, new look. This is also an excellent time to upgrade the cabinet hardware (pulls, knobs, etc).
The objective is to take on easy cosmetic jobs, such as brushing on a fresh coat of paint or careful landscaping, rather than remodeling projects where you are unlikely to recoup your costs.
For example, you may think that remodeling the kitchen is your best bet. While the kitchen is one of the high-profile rooms in a home, remodeling is a costly endeavor that will most likely not provide an adequate return on your investment. When in doubt about what to fix up, ask your Realtor. He or she will be looking at your home with fresh eyes and will notice things you overlook.
Here's a room-by-room list of improvements, along with jobs to avoid because they require too much investment in time or money.
Bathroom
Do:
* Remove stains from toilets, tubs and sinks.
* If fixtures are outdated or leak, replace them.
* Replace the shower curtain.
* Inspect, repair and replace any worn out grout in tiles.
* Caulk all joints for a watertight seal.
Don't:
* Replace the flooring unless it's damaged.
* Re-tile unless it can't be patched or repaired.
Kitchen
Do:
* Make sure the faucet works properly, shuts off quickly and looks good. Repair or replace as needed.
* Keep the sink spotless. If you can't remove stains, consider replacing the sink with a more modern look. Quality porcelain sinks made with cast iron are a good choice since they're available in many colors, are quiet and stand up well over time. If you replace the sink, you may as well update the faucet at the same time--you'd be surprised how much this will improve the look of a kitchen.
* Clean the appliances and make sure they're in good working order.
* Clean the cabinets. If they're dark, consider repainting them to give the entire kitchen a fresh, new look. This is also an excellent time to upgrade the cabinet hardware (pulls, knobs, etc).
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