Boosting Your Home’s Value to Get the Best Sales Price Possible

(SanDiegoRealEstateBuzz) – Preparing for a home sale is rarely a simple project. In a highly competitive market like that in San Diego, it’s even more challenging. Your home needs to shine to attract the right buyers and the best possible offer. While this market has low inventory and incredible growth, to maximize the amount of offers you receive at the best value, you need to take steps to market it well. With the help of your San Diego real estate agent, consider these methods to improving your home’s value.

Clean It Up and Clear It Out

It costs nothing, but can increase the sale price of your home by as much as five percent. Opening up the space to make it seem larger can help to give prospective home buyers more ability to truly envision themselves living there.

• Consider hiring a professional organizer if you do not want to invest the time in the process. Generally, the cost can be recouped.
• Get rid of bad smells, soiled materials, and any areas that look or feel dirty.
• Downsize possessions stored in the home as much as possible. It’s a good idea to remove personal items, such as photos, as these make the home seem more “yours” rather than “theirs.”

Focus on the Kitchen

Spending a few hundred dollars on the kitchen can often be recouped. In some situations, the kitchen should see a significant upgrade especially if it has broken appliances, countertops, flooring, or lighting. You may see a potential return of as much as three to seven percent from this effort. Here’s what to focus on:

• Fix the leaky faucet or broken light figures. Get rid of the burn marks on countertops. Make sure the kitchen looks usable instantly.
• Painting the walls or updating cabinet hardware tends to be inexpensive but can give an older looking kitchen a more modern feel.
• For significantly older kitchens, replacing or redoing the kitchen cabinets may be important. It is also important to consider updated countertops and floors as needed.

Modernize the Bathroom

The next area to focus on is the bathroom. To add more value to your property, ensure your bathroom is clean, de-cluttered, and relaxing. Spending between $300 and $1,000 here will still allow for a potential return of two to three percent. Focus on these areas:

• Repair anything broken including fixtures, flooring, and leaks. Ensure the space is super clean.
• Add more light to make the space seem brighter and more open.
• Here you can invest in a few upgrades that can be important selling points such as water-efficient showers and tiling as they will pay off more fully.

Where Else to Put Your Money

There are plenty of other ways you can reap a bit of a boost in your home value with inexpensive upgrades. Consider these tips:

• Improve the exterior of your home through trimmed landscaping, paint touch-ups, and decluttering.
• Paint rooms as necessary to modernize the space while also keeping colors more neutral rather than trendy.
• Clean out the garage to make it more usable and versatile.

With a bit of hard work and smaller investments, it is possible to improve the value of your San Diego home. Your agent can help you to determine the best steps for your individual property.