It’s fun and easy to dream about a home’s potential before you move in. (I’m definitely guilty when it comes to over-ambitious Pinterest boards!) But when you actually get into your house, it can be a challenge to decide which upgrades to make within the reality of a budget. Whether you’re looking for ideas to customize your home into something more “you,” or deciding which projects will give you the highest ROI before you list on the market, here are some low-cost, high-impact ideas to consider.
Simple Ways to Boost A Home’s Value
When we first wrote about fixing up your home on a budget to get ready for a sale, we focused on paints, carpeting, lighting, and similar small-scale tasks. Now we want to dive deeper into the exterior and interior of your home to find new ways to increase value without breaking the bank.
Exterior Considerations
The exterior of your home is its first impression. If it’s not dressed to impress, people won’t want to look inside. Here’s what to think about for a great first impression:
1. Use flowers as accents. Flowerbeds and new foliage are great, but flower boxes and planters can work just as well at a fraction of the price and time. Consider hanging flower boxes outside of your first-floor windows or beside your front door.
2. Hide electrical fixtures and boxes. If you have electrical boxes or meters on the side of the house, consider painting them the same color as your siding to help them blend in. If that’s not possible, try hiding them by encasing them inside a stained wooden enclosure. If you have bulky A/C units, consider hiding them from view with some natural foliage.
3. Give your walkways a makeover. Old walkways are often crumbling, uneven, or sprouting grass. Give yours some TLC. Edge the path to cut away growth, then level out the pavers, if necessary. Finally, consider installing solar-powered path lights along the walk. These are generally inexpensive and don’t require any special wiring to install.
4. Power wash surfaces. Like a good exfoliant, power washing removes all of the dirt that can make a home appear dull. Siding, windows, porches—they all get dirty when exposed to the elements (especially in Pittsburgh!). Borrow a power washer from a friend and spend an afternoon blasting the dirt away to refresh your home’s exterior.
Interior Considerations
Once people are through the front door, the exterior of the home doesn’t matter. Now you need to impress inside. Here’s where to focus:
1. Add crown molding. Crown molding screams elegance, and it’s relatively simple to install. Picking a color is easy, too. A bright white will go with just about any color scheme and really makes a room pop.
2. Replace your kitchen appliance doors. Stoves, microwaves, dishwashers, and refrigerators all experience a good deal of abuse, and there’s a good chance yours show some wear. Replacing an entire appliance can be costly, but many companies will allow you to purchase replacement doors.
3. Update your light switches. Fresh light switches can add some extra style to your home. You can also consider adding a dimmer switch for additional functionality and character.
4. Add storage space. When we fixed up our basement, we added shelves to help with storage and laundry. You can go a step further. A simple closet in the den can turn a two-bedroom house into a three-bedroom home. If a closet is outside the budget, consider hanging some shelves in the bedrooms.
Getting your home ready to sell may be a big task, but it doesn’t have to be daunting. Once you're ready to start looking for buyers in Pittsburgh, contact us (email: theblocks@theblocksintheburgh.com, phone: 412.926.7976)! We’ll partner with you to sell your home as quickly as possible.
Cheers,
Julie & Ted