5 Ways to Increase Your Property Value for Under $2,500

Whether you’re growing your family, moving on up in the world or escaping Wisconsin’s brutal winters for Florida’s gently swaying palms, buying a new home inevitably means selling your old one. Naturally you want to attract the highest offers possible…but ideally, you’d like to do it without spending the equivalent of a down payment on the property you’re about to leave.

As experts at all things home improvement (and, more importantly, what those improvements really cost), the folks at HomeAdvisor understand the importance of presenting your home to buyers in its most flattering light. So when you asked for inexpensive ways to increase your home’s resale value, we went to them for answers. We were thrilled to discover a veritable treasure trove of smart ideas for quick home fixes that can increase its going rate by tens of thousands of dollars…all for less than you’ll spend on closing costs for your sweet new digs.

The best part? Labor is already factored in, so you can spend those valuable hours you might have spent DIYing (and re-DIYing…and then hiring a contractor to fix your DIY mistakes) finding the glorious new home of your dreams.

Floor It

The moment buyers step inside, they’ll notice what they’re stepping on. While worn-out carpet or scuffed, scratched floors send the signal that your house is down at the heel, fluffy brand-new wall-to-wall or gleaming hardwood lets your home step out in style. Even better? Ripping up an old, sad carpet or refinishing wood floors don’t have to cost an arm and a leg. According to HomeAdvisor’s national data, it costs between $750-$2,500 to install a new carpet, taking into account such factors as square footage and type of carpet used.

You can expect to pay between $1,000-$2,150 to refinish a hardwood floor. Want to save a few bucks? Try recoating instead of refinishing, which skips the sanding step but still gives your floors that shiny new look.

Color Them Impressed

You know how adding a fresh coat of paint can instantly liven up a room? Multiply that by all the rooms in your house and you have a surefire recipe for wowing buyers! When painting your home for resale, it’s best to choose neutral, universally appealing colors such as a bright, fresh white or calming taupe. (Stuck on all those zillions of options? Your painting pro should be able to help you narrow it down.) Painting a room can also make it look bigger, sunnier, and more inviting: all of which can earn it major brownie points with buyers! Depending on the size and number of your rooms, you can expect to pay between $940-$2,440—and yes, that includes the cost of paint.

Turn Up the Heat

You already know to bake cookies for your open house…but that won’t do you much good if your decades-old oven emits its usual “tire fire” smell whenever you turn it on. While outdated or gross-past-the-point-of-no-return appliances are a sure turnoff for homebuyers, they’re also relatively inexpensive to replace. Even better, a gleaming new oven range, top-of-the-line microwave, or fancy fridge can make your kitchen look downright posh. According to HomeAdvisor it costs an average of $189 to have an appliance installed—and you can shop around or take advantage of holiday sales to score major deals on the kinds of brand-name appliances that buyers will love as much as your peanut-butter chocolate-chip cookies.

Do a Clean Sweep

There’s a clean house…and then there’s a professionally clean house. While your best efforts are more than sufficient for day-to-day living, a little extra sparkle can go a long way toward adding serious dollars to your selling price. Before showing your home, it often makes sense to invest in a full, deep cleaning from a professional maid service. A typical maid service visit costs $158, although factors such as the number of rooms, your square footage, and hours spent on your home can all add or subtract from your fee. If it’s been a while since your home was professionally cleaned, you may want to spring for add-ons such as window cleaning or scrubbing walls…anything to make your living space sparkle as much as your personality!

Inspect the Goods

Don’t like surprises? Neither do buyers. If you’re serious about selling your house, you don’t want to have a deal yanked out from under you at the eleventh hour when your buyer’s inspector discovers unwelcome “surprises” such as a termite infestation or faulty wiring. Fortunately, you can head them off at the pass by hiring an inspector of your own and taking care of less-than-stellar conditions before you go to sell. A home inspection can cost anywhere from $267-$371, and can give you peace of mind going into the selling process so you can stick to your timeline and take an even faster route to your new home-sweet-home.

Conclusion

Ready to maximize your home’s value for minimal investment? HomeAdvisor can help with in-depth pricing information via their True Cost Guides, plus match you up with qualified home improvement professionals in your area who can get your home shipshape before you’ve even met with your real estate agent. Next stop: a brand-new home to call home!

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