“Fixer-upper” is one word you don’t want your house referred to during the home selling process. Unfortunately, any out-of-date rooms in your home could lead to your house receiving this label as you attempt to sell it.
In this month’s post, we’ll examine renovations to make before selling your home to avoid the dreaded “fixer-upper” label.
Updated Kitchen
When looking at homes, homebuyers expect a certain level of modernity. For most, this starts with the condition of the kitchen. In addition to being a place to prepare meals, kitchens are where a lot of time is spent meeting as a family, getting ready for the day, and completing tasks. Given how much time is spent here, it’s no wonder it’s one of the most important aspects homeowners are concerned with when they buy homes.
Open floor plans are one of our most requested kitchen designs and are a favorite among home buyers in the Chicago area. While this is a larger renovation project that could alter the layout of your entire home, many home buyers are specifically looking for a home that is open and filled with natural light. Especially younger homeowners who value this type of layout may be turned off to a traditional, closed-off kitchen and living area.
While this design layout change may seem daunting, working with experienced home remodeling specialists makes the process simple and can add significant value to your home.
Are your home appliances old and not working properly? Updating them could pay dividends when selling your home and getting the right value for it. Home buyers like to see modern appliances in kitchens. While not a structural part of the home, appliances are items homeowners interact with every day and, therefore, hold great importance.
Some appliances to consider updating if they haven’t been updated in a while include:
These upgrades will make your home look better and signal to homeowners you’re keeping up with the maintenance of your home. Plus, new appliances have better features and will perform better, which will give you another selling point for your home sale.
Custom wood cabinets can make your entire kitchen shine, leaving an indelible mark on potential homebuyers' minds.
Older homes often have laminate cabinets that can lower the value of the home, not to mention the overall look and feel of the kitchen space. Custom cabinets will fit perfectly and are a great complement to an open floor plan redesign. They also add a bit of personalization and one-of-a-kind charm that home buyers crave when looking at homes for sale.
People love quality countertops. In addition to looking great, they offer elegance and function to your home. They can bring the entire room together if complimented with the right combination of appliances and cabinetry.
Some of our favorite countertop materials include:
Old, beat-up bathrooms can have a chilling effect on home buyers. While all the bathrooms in your home don’t have to look like a spa, they should be up-to-date and have been remodeled in the last ten years. This is particularly true of primary bathrooms;
Some items to focus on include:
Upgrading doors and windows is a great way to improve the appearance of your house while adding some energy efficiency to your home.
Old windows may look undesirable and don’t let in as much light, reducing your home's curb appeal and blocking natural light from reaching your living spaces. They also let in drafts and are not as energy-efficient as newer Energy Star-rated windows.
New doors, particularly the front door, will also help your home's curb appeal. It’s literally the first physical interaction a home buyer will have with your home. Plus, they are safer than old doors, which may be easy to breach. Home buyers will notice this upgraded feature!
Old and worn out flooring will stick in potential home buyers minds and is another aspect of your home that could immediately turn off some home buyers.
While you don’t need to replace all of the flooring in your home to make it saleable, high-traffic areas should be looked at. These areas include your...
A lot of home buyers these days expect hardwood floors in key rooms and will not want to remodel on their own after purchasing a new home. For bedrooms and children’s playrooms, high-quality, stain-resistant carpet can be a great option. For master bedrooms, though, we generally recommend hardwood. For bathrooms, tile or hardwood works great, depending on the exact home and situation.
Patrick A. Finn has been helping homeowners in the Chicago area with remodeling projects for years. We know what people love and how to increase the value of any space.