If you’re thinking about selling your home, then one of the main things that is inevitably on your mind is going to be “How much is it worth?”. This is a fair question and one that will ultimately be determined by a large number of factors – some of which will be out of your control – an even larger number however, will be totally up to you.
There are a great number of things you can do to improve the look and feel of your house that will not only bring buyers through the door, it’ll ensure that they never want to leave. How is this done? I’m glad you asked…

When it comes to selling your home, first Impressions Count

Think about the first things you notice when you see a beautiful home. The facade of your property is going to be a telling indication of what prospective buyers are going to expect from the rest of your house. If you can make a an amazing first impression then not only will it pique people’s interest but it will increase the property’s value by merely showcasing a beautiful appearance. So what are the best ways of achieving this exterior makeover?

Firstly, tidy up the garden. Add some ornamentals, spruce the plants, mow the lawn, weed the garden, add some paving, paint the fence – anything you can think of to improve the outside aesthetics of your front garden. You won’t need to spend much, but the effort you put into the front yard could potentially mean the difference between selling your home instantly or dealing with months of painstaking uncertainty.

You might not think twice about it, but the front door is also a significant factor in a property’s appeal. Replacing your current door with something modern or eye-catching will add a serious wow-factor and surprisingly has a big impact on people’s impressions – paving the way for the wonders they’ll expect to find within. This might set you back a few hundred dollars, but if you want go for a cheaper option you can always just revamp your current door by giving it a nice paint job with a rich oil-based paint, and maybe affixing a new door handle. Never underestimate the impact of a strikingly attractive door.

The Kitchen is Key

If you’ve ever lived in a house, which I’m assuming you probably have, I imagine you’re aware of just how large a part the kitchen has to play in homely living. Entertaining friends, cooking and preparing family meals, Christmas feasts, Sunday roasts, I could go on… but even if you’re not Australia’s next masterchef or much of a dinner party socialite, one thing you can’t deny – the kitchen is where the food and coffee lives. What’s more important than that?

Right, so if you didn’t already need convincing of just how important a kitchen is within the grand scheme of home appeal, then it might not come as a surprise that this is the next big thing you’ll want to focus on when increasing the value of your property.

A beautiful and stylish kitchen gives a house immense value, both monetarily, and individually in the eyes of prospective buyers. By doing some work to improve the look, feel, and functionality of your kitchen, you’ll be helping to create an emotional connection for your buyers by letting them envision their future lives in your home. So depending on how much you’re willing to spend on renovations there a number of ways you can ameliorate a kitchen space.

bright white kitchen

Installing your own modular kitchen is always a relatively affordable option that can create a dramatic upgrade to a worn down space. If you want to go all out then a more upscale approach would be to hire a custom kitchen builder, which might set you back around $10,000 but could increase your property’s value by as much as $50-$60,000.
On the flip side however, a few minor tweaks to the cupboards, updating the surfaces, and installing some fancy new taps might be all you need to make your kitchen Grand-Designs-worthy.

A Fresh Coat of Paint

This might seem like a no-brainer and is likely one of the first things that will come to mind when you think of ways to boost the value of a property before it goes on the market. And you’d be right!

Adding a fresh coat of paint to your interior living spaces will give your house a crisp and vibrant feel. Doing what you can to give your house a fresh and modern atmosphere is fundamental in your quest for impressing everyone who walks through trying to decide if this is their next forever home.

One of the best ways to do this with paint is to choose nice neutral colours. Neutral colours such as whites, greys, taupes, and pastels are ideal for creating an illusion of space – similar to mirrors, neutral colours tend to make rooms appear larger – which provides the perfect canvas for buyers to envision their own furnishings, interior decorations, and their own colour schemes. All of which is much more difficult when you’re faced with a bright yellow bedroom, a dark red living room, and a purple kitchen.

Turn Your Bathroom Into a Bathing Haven

I’m sure we can all agree that the bathroom is also a rather important space within the home. It’s becoming a little more difficult these days to find buyers who will forgive an outdated and ageing bathroom when the allure of modern fixtures and stylish fittings are often available elsewhere.

modern bathroom

So with that in mind, you’re going to want to spend some time and effort sprucing up the space to ensure that prospective buyers are more than satisfied and can barely wait to have their first shower.

This might mean it’s time to bust out the tool box and fix up some small repairs, or if you can afford to, seriously consider installing a new sink or even a toilet. You might be surprised what gets people excited. Any kind of alterations that can be made which give the appearance of cleanliness and a contemporary feel will do wonders for creating a lasting impression. And speaking of cleanliness, make double-triple-quadruple sure that your bathroom is as clean as a whistle – and I mean gleaming. No one is going to appreciate a bathroom they feel cleaner after leaving.

Fill Your Rooms With Fancy Furniture

Now this is an interesting tip. What better way to create an impression of aesthetic appeal than by adorning your house with beautiful decor. Keep in mind I’m not recommending you go out and buy an entire house full of state of the art couches, crystal chandeliers, designer lamps, and a coffee table carved out of solid marble – I mean, not unless you want to.

The best way to do this is to borrow or rent some high quality or contemporary furnishings to give your house that final touch of modern living. This way you won’t have to break the bank but by creating a small budget to hone the perception that your home is the epitome of high class living, buyers coming to inspect the property will think they’ve just walked into a Better Homes & Gardens magazine. The value of a property is highly dependent on the quality of a living space, and a perfect way to improve the ambience of a room is to fill it with attractive furnishings.

So what are you waiting for? Start beautifying your home today and watch your home skyrocket in value. Then all you have to do is sit back, reap your reward, take in those profits, and bask in the satisfaction of a job well done.