Tips for Remodeling to Sell
By Mary White
Photo: © Richard Thompson / Dreamstime
 Remodeling your home to get it ready to sell doesn't have to be a painful undertaking. With some advance planning, careful consideration of what improvements will really impact the sale of your home, and wise choices, you’ll be surprised at how simple remodeling can really be. Keep these three simplified solutions for remodeling to sell in mind, and you'll be pleased with the results.
Keep Your Expectations Realistic - If your house isn't in great condition and you need to sell it next week, you have to be realistic about what you can and cannot accomplish. In such a situation, you might need to do some small repairs, such as fixing your leaky sinks, and just accept that you aren’t going to get top dollar for your home.
If you decide that you are going to list your home for sale in six months, you have a little more time to work with, and you might be able to realistically undertake the types of remodeling projects that can significantly increase the appeal of your home to prospective buyers. |
Get Your Priorities Straight - Don't lose sight of the fact that you are remodeling your home so that you can sell it at a good price. This is not the time to add the hot tub that you always wanted. While hot tubs are great fun, they do not have a positive impact on the resale value of your home. Identify those areas of your home that need to be updated in order to make your home more appealing to prospective buyers.
It is a good idea to invite your real estate agent in to take an advance peek at your home and make suggestions about the types of improvements that will make your home more appealing to buyers. Someone who deals with people who are buying and selling homes every day will be a great source of information to help you prioritize projects with the greatest potential to add value to your home.
Focus on Return on Investment - Remind yourself that the home improvements you are making are for a home that you won't be living in much longer. When remodeling your home to sell, don't lose sight of the fact that your reason for improving the property is to maximize your return on investment. Spend wisely, and only up to the point where the investment makes financial sense. |
