Will That Home Improvement Project Pay Off?

Sure, some projects we like to do just because it suits us and we like it. However, I just heard on the news last night that home prices in our area went up over 20% last month and was the best increase in 2 years. We’ve been talking about selling, and it looks to be a good time. So what should I do (besides everything) to get my house ready to sell? Here’s what I found and I thought I would share:

The Top 5 Worst Home Updates

14 Fast Fixes To Help Your Home Sell (I like fast..)

What are they thinking?

I’m sure that HGTV would naturally gear their material to the largest cities with equally large per capita incomes, but I just don’t get some of what they do. Don’t get me wrong, I really love the majority of what HGTV offers, and HGTV’s website, The Front Door, offers so much good information for sellers and buyers, but I really have to argue their Top 4 Home Improvement Myths:

1. Any remodel is a good one – Of the 4, this one has the most merit, but let’s think this one through. OK, I know there are the wild and crazies that think if they paint the girl’s room flourescent pink it will appeal to those with a girly-girl, but let’s talk moderate, modest, get it done quick and cheap improvements. Anyone with a brain will look at that pink room and think ‘I can paint over that’. Granted, you may not get the money you put into it back, but an improvement is an improvement.
2. You can do it yourself. OK, once again, staying the middle ground and I’m not talking re-wiring the laundry room yourself, but I believe most people CAN do it themselves. All the how-to websites and videos and Design on a Dime shows have proven that to us. I think HGTV is talking about the unreal improvements that make most of their more practical viewers scringe (you know the ones!)
3. Pools add value – Did YOU think pools add value? I don’t think pools add value. They add work. Unless you have servants.
4. Follow the latest design trends. One more time: without using extreme examples, who really thinks they have to have the most trendy designs in their home to sell it? Maybe define the difference between update and trends. This is definitely something that many well meaning improvements gobble up profits, but one of the top four? C.mon.

I love to watch the various shows on home staging that show different homes, and especially “Designed To Sell”. I’ve watched what a BIG difference just a (relatively)  small effort can make in a prospective buyers first impression. So I’m sold on doing certain things to fluff up my home, but think about it: What do YOU really notice first?

What I notice about a house when I first walk in is:

• Cleanliness (uncluttered) and open space. Maybe I notice this because my house lacks this..but it really makes a house look so much nicer, don’t you think?
• Light colors. Especially on the walls, but lighter colors do make things look bigger. And more cheerful.
• Smell. Maybe I notice smells because I’m a ’smelly’ person (uh-the kind that likes fragrance…) but if I walk into a house that smells like fish, or musty, or dirty diaper smell…well, it makes me want to leave asap.
• Well kept yard. I can handle the thought of doing major inside cleaning jobs much better than thinking the entire yard needs an overhaul. Most of all, driving up to a nicely done yard really does seem to set the tone for what you are about to walk into.

This is just one mom’s opinion. My dad was a real estate agent before his untimely death, and I’ve always enjoyed looking at houses (yes, I’m a ‘looky-loo’) . What influences YOU the most on your first (or last) opinion of a house for sale? Do you think those little things make a difference, or do you think it’s the bottom line that makes or breaks a deal?

One last link for 30 of HGTV’s best home staging tips