5 Often Overlooked Ways to Up Your Home’s Resale Value

Remodeling your home is one of the most important ways to increasing its resale value. Of course, people commonly focus their remodeling projects on the kitchen and bathroom areas, as these are staple ways to up the resale value of the property, but remodeling doesn’t stop there.

If you’re considering selling a house in the future, be sure to look at these remodeling ideas that are all too frequently overlooked.

Shelving and Storage

This may surprise you, but it’s often the small things that make a home more attractive to buyers. For instance, closet features are always of interest to home buyers. People have a lot of stuff and they like having the convenience of great shelf space to store objects and keep the clutter out of their walking space.

You should assess what your closets offer. Are they large? Are they well-designed?

Shelf space is hugely important. If a potential buyer can’t find a place to store their vacuum cleaner or exercise equipment, they may be much less likely to buy.

If you don’t have very much bulk storage space to offer, focus on practicality. Improve shelving options throughout your home.

You can add more creative shelving options to the kitchen, such as base-floor shelves. If you have a kitchen counter, consider installing more cabinets there, as well.

If you have a guest bathroom, you probably aren’t taking enough advantage of the shelving possibilities. Guests like bathrooms where they have plenty of places to put their things without feeling intrusive.

There’s always space to add more shelving and storing features. Take advantage of it. If you’re going to sell a house, you need to offer buyers as much useable space as possible.

The Staircase

The kitchen, bedroom and bathroom are called “high-impact areas.” In other words, they greatly influence a potential buyer’s impression of a home. Another high-impact area is the staircase.

Don’t overlook your staircase. How a person feels when they walk up the stairs is very important. A staircase that is loud and creaky doesn’t bode well for a buyer’s impressions. You want a strong staircase that is safe and comfortable.

Consider the surface of your staircase. Carpeted staircases are very popular because they are quiet and pleasing on the feet. Be cognizant of safety features, though. Using a very shaggy rug can make it hard to balance, while using a shiny wood surface can cause slipping.

Homebuyers are very aware of a bad staircase, so if yours isn’t up to par, focus your remodeling efforts here. This is a very important area of your home.

Natural Light

Potential buyers are always interested in a home with plenty of natural light. Even if you don’t have very large windows, you can still make this aspect of the house attractive. Try installing nice drapes or curtains. This draws people’s attention to the windows and also makes the windows seem larger than they are.

Adding mirrors is a great way to increase natural light flow in a home. Mirrors also are useful for creating depth in a home, as well, so if you want a room to feel a little bigger than it actually is, adding some mirroring can help.

“Curb Appeal”

Remodeling all too often overemphasizes interior details. The truth is, when a potential buyer walks up to your house, what they see at that moment may set the tone for whether they’re interested or not. Real estate agents commonly call this “curb appeal.” Giving your home a nice curb appeal is essential for getting the best offers.

Start with the small things. Get some new handles and doorknobs for your entrance ways. Clean your porch and repaint it if necessary. Gutters rust and may need to be cleaned and repainted, as well. Windows should be spotless and any weathering damage should be assessed and repaired. What about your lawn? Is it green and healthy looking?

Additional Property

If you have a shed out back, is it in good condition? What about your garage? Always look for room for improvement. Sheds and garages can take a lot of abuse of the years, so make sure they look attractive and inviting.

Cement cracks should be filled in and walls repainted. You may want to upgrade your garage door, as well. Having a garage door with good technology, security, insulation and a stylish appeal will make your house much more attractive to potential buyers.