If you are considering putting your home on the market, getting it ready to sell can be intimidating – and many people will warn you that spending money on renovations is not wise as you run the risk of over-capitalising and not recouping the cost of the work done. The fact is that there are few larger renovations that will add enough value to your home to realise a profit when the house is sold.
But that doesn’t mean that all improvements prior to selling are a bad idea. There are plenty of home upgrades that will help you sell your home quicker—and perhaps at a higher price—without a risky investment.
Brights Hardware, the Western Cape chain of family owned hardware stores, offers a list of seven easy and more affordable renovations that you can undertake which will update your home and hopefully help you sell speedily.
1. Slip (Your House) Into Something New
Orlando Luis, CEO of Brights Hardware says that a simple coat of paint in a neutral shade is a great place to start when preparing your house for resale. “This update can be completed without a huge investment of time or money – you can even do the painting yourself to save on labour costs.”
Luis warns that when it comes to which colour to choose, be careful when following current trends as potential buyers need to see themselves living with the paint choice. “Also be sure the new colour still goes well with your home décor to further appeal to prospective buyers.”
2. Make a Great First Impression
Freshening up the curb appeal of your home is a good place to start as the front entrance is the first thing potential buyers see when arriving at your house.
“Improve your first impression by painting your front door – a brightly coloured front door will make your home more memorable. Adding some new handles to the door once the paint is dry will have your front door looking good as new. If the door is beyond rescue, replace it with a new one – just ensure the new door fits into the existing door frame. For a finishing touch, position some pots with ornamental trees or flowers alongside the door.”
3. Heat Things Up In The Kitchen
Kitchen cabinets are highly visible, but replacing them can easily eat into any profit you hope to make from your home sale. If your kitchen cabinets are in terrible condition and falling apart, you may have little choice but to install new ones. For cabinets that are in good shape, the better option is to paint them. “There are paint products available on the market that will allow you to paint kitchen cabinets a fresh new colour – whether your cabinets are wood or melamine. Once the paint has dried, add some new handles to complete the overhaul.”
4. Get Fresh In Your Bathroom
Bathrooms are always high on potential buyers’ lists so before putting your home up for sale, consider making small updates to this essential room. According to Brights some of the best bathroom remodels include small changes like:
- Fitting new taps and shower heads. “Replacing the old taps and shower head in your bathroom is an easy way to modernise and refresh this space.”
- Fresh new grouting around the bath and shower. “Get rid of mould stained grouting and peeling silicone.”
- “De-clutter your bathroom by putting up a modern bathroom cabinet which adds storage space so that unsightly bottles and containers can be kept out of sight.”
- Brights advises that if budget allows, re-tiling the bathroom in a neutral tile is a sure-fire way to update, refresh and reinvigorate this essential space in the home.
“Real estate professionals stress that the bathrooms and kitchen are the most important parts of the house, but that doesn’t mean you have to completely overhaul those rooms before selling.”
5. Lighten up
New light fixtures are another great way to revitalise your home and will brighten up and modernise the space.
“There are so many different styles and types to choose from – best is to try and choose a simple and timeless style that won’t go out of fashion too quickly and which is likely to appeal to a broad target market of potential buyers,” cautions Luis.
6. De-clutter And Clear Out
While this update may not directly increase the value of your home, a thorough de-cluttering is the easiest thing to do before putting a house on the market that will help speed up the sale.
“Clearing out closets and other storage areas will help your home appear roomier and make it easier for potential buyers to picture themselves living in your home. Excess belongings make it hard for potential buyers to see themselves in the space and stuffed cupboards may make it appear like there is not enough storage.”
7. Get Landscaping
The outside of your home is important for attracting viewers and closing the deal. Update your landscaping by clearing weeds, edging your pavement and driveway, and trimming trees and bushes.
Brights advises that you also remove patchy, brown and unhealthy grass and replacing it with gravel/stone chip – which gives gardens an instant uplift and also means far less hassle in summer time. “You can also quickly create an outdoor alfresco entertainment area by laying down paving stones – perhaps in the shade of a tree, near to a water feature or the swimming pool,” says Luis, who concludes by advising that home remodels done to make a house more attractive to buyers should not necessarily align with your personal tastes and preferences, or the latest home remodel trends – but rather it is about correcting areas of the home that may turn off buyers.
Brights Hardware has on-site experts in all of their stores to provide advice and guidance on any home renovations and upgrades. “Whatever you may be wanting to do around the house, our knowledgeable staff members can provide you with all the product insights and information that you need.”
Brights Hardware has stores in Boston, Blackheath, Langebaan, Mitchells Plain, Montague Park, Plattekloof, Uitzicht and Brackengate.
For more information or to visit the online store browse www.brights.co.za.