Helpful House to Home Renovations Before Selling Your Home
Before you sell your home, you may be considering house to home renovations. Part of you wants to update your home so that it is comfortable and freshened up for an Open House before new buyers come in. Another part of you is going to be hoping that you get a return on your investment with as much of the remodeling as you can. That’s part of the home selling process. But where do you start? When you are selling your home, you want to first make a list of all the things that need to be repaired or need to get done. Then, make a list of items you want in your dream home. This will help you to prepare for your house to home renovations. Use this guide when you are checking items off of your list when it comes to your remodeling plan.
Hire a Concrete Expert to Update Your Driveway
Curb appeal is a number one must-have when you are selling your home. This is your first impression of new buyers. You could have the most beautiful and most expensive updated kitchen. But if there are cracks in the driveway or interlock bricks missing, you are simply going to see fewer offers.
Hire a local concrete contractor when you are considering selling your home or preparing the house for home renovations. Get some estimates on what the costs are. A new concrete driveway will cost up to $6 or $7 per square foot. You can add many different elements to this renovation that will boost your home’s curb appeal.
Concrete driveways aren’t as boring as they may sound. You can add stamping or textured finishes to concrete that will make your driveway the most interesting on the street. Add side elements like flagstone or wood around your pretty new driveway and you will instantly boost your curb appeal. This is an item that will yield a solid return on your investment (ROI).
Inquire About Replacing Your Garage Door
Most real estate experts will tell you that replacing your garage door is one of the most productive house to home renovations when you are thinking of selling your home. Call a few garage door services to give you some quotes. This project is going to bring at least 100 percent ROI, and in some cases, up to 200 percent. The garage door for many homes eats up a lot of square footage of the frontage of the property.
When it is new and stunning, new home buyers want that in their lives. When it comes to the elusive art of curb appeal, having a handsome garage door will always pay for itself with the home sale. Buyers don’t want a door that is broken or needs to be repaired in time. And, if your garage door is near the end of its time, they will know it.
Update Your Roof
An updated roof is an important step in preparing your house for home renovations. There are three things you can do with your roof. You can have it maintained, repaired, or replaced. When you are talking to roofing services for your renovations, the ROI is not the element that you have in mind here.
Every home needs a roof, and roofs do not live forever unless they are made of a specific kind of material. Roofs that are metal will last the longest, and up to 50 years in most states. Vinyl shingles are great materials for roofs, but by comparison, only have a lifespan of 15 or 20 years. If you can give new buyers a roof that will last for decades, you’ll see the results in your home offers.
Still, a new roof can give you a nice ROI. You can expect an ROI on a new roof to be approximately 60 to 65 percent, and higher in some states. The average cost of a brand-new roof will be approximately 22 thousand dollars for an asphalt roof with shingles. You will see some of that back in your home offers. But, you will get more offers to work with if you invest in a new roof, regardless of the upfront cost.
Upgrade Your Bathroom
The bathrooms are always big sellers in a home, with many real estate experts noting that a bathroom could make or break a home sale. You want to offer bathrooms that are upgraded, contemporary, and spacious. If you can’t build space in your bathroom, create it with storage solutions. Bring a bath remodeler in when you are looking at upgrading your bathroom for your house to home renovations.
Bathroom renovations will typically bring a 60 percent ROI to your offers when you are selling your home. The average bathroom renovation that has performed a major renovation will cost approximately 20 thousand dollars. However, this will depend on the size of your bathroom and what you plan to have done. Plumbing is largely the most expensive part of a bathroom remodel.
A smaller bathroom that is a powder room in size or a “half bathroom” is going to cost up to $10 thousand for major renovations. This will include upgrades to all of your water fixtures including the toilet. A new floor and lights with new paint or wallpaper will also be part of this budget. A larger bathroom could double in price because there is more space to paint, and a larger wet area to furnish and upgrade when it comes to plumbing costs.
Improve the Aesthetic of Your Basement
The aesthetic of your basement is an important part of house to home renovations. Because you won’t be living here for long, a basement remodeler can help you figure out how to do this room within a budget, but with a good ROI. A finished basement, one with carpeting or flooring, and drywall, is going to be a big selling point for a new home buyer. You want these rooms to look like they are going to be lived in like any other room of the home.
At the same time, these are rooms that are going to add to the square footage of your overall property. Finished basements are a space that will add to the lifestyle of anyone who lives there. Finish the flooring in the basement, and get some drywalling done here. Improving the aesthetics is all that you need because new buyers will want to make this one their own in time.
Assess if Your HVAC System Needs Repairs
An HVAC system is an important part of any new home for buyers. If they have to put in one or have one repaired or replaced, they are going to be very upset. You will see this reflected in their offers. An HVAC system costs approximately $10 thousand on an average-size home for 2,000 square feet and will last up to 12 or 15 years.
Bring in some heating contractors to take a look at the furnace and air conditioning units to see what needs to happen here. You may just need some regular maintenance when you are doing these house to home renovations. However, a new system could add as much as $3 thousand to the final offer of your home.
Install a New Furnace
The same concept applies to a new furnace in the home. This is an incredible expense, but comes with a higher ROI than a new HVAC. It is hard to tell on your own if you need a new furnace. But, if you get some estimates from furnace companies, you will have a better idea of whether you even need one.
Getting a new furnace is an incredible expense when you are planning house to home renovations. You will know if you need one by a few telltale signs before you talk to your furnace companies. If your unit looks good, but your heating bills have gone through the roof, then your heating may be going through the roof. You may need a new furnace.
Older furnaces will consume more energy and fuel but will ultimately produce less heat by doing so. Of course, this will have environmental and efficiency considerations, but your new home buyers will also be thinking of their heating bill if they see this. You can minimize this and maximize your offers by considering furnaces that have an annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating that is between 90 and 98 percent. Older furnaces have AFUE at half of those rates which equates to fuel being wasted.
A high-efficiency furnace will save you money now until your home sells and pays off somewhat in the long run. More importantly, it will give you some nice offers. Talk to your contractors and get estimates from multiple sources. The furnace is a selling point for many home buyers.
Waterproof Your Basement
Basement waterproofing is an important step in house to home renovations because it is worth the investment. The basement is the one room in the home that is most susceptible to water and mold damage from water damage. Many renovations can be made, both outside and inside, to waterproof a basement.
Again, new buyers like this and put it into offers in dollar signs because they don’t want to do it themselves. You are likely to get up to 30 percent ROI from this step, and more offers at the Open House. Waterproofing prevents foundation damage and it also prevents unsightly and dangerous mold. If you do it with the right waterproofing services, it will also add livable space to your basement.
Work With Landscapers on Cleaning Up Your Yard
With landscaping, you are back to improving the infamous curb appeal of your home. When you are landscaping to sell a home, be sure that you rent a dumpster for your projects. Landscaping is an important component of house to home renovations because it makes new buyers think they are getting a pretty home. There is also the illusion of a nice front or backyard.
When new buyers see a nice yard, they think you will take good care of the inside too. At the same time, landscaping isn’t always about the front yard. Adding elements to your backyard like a pergola, gazebo, or water pond, can increase your potential offers. The expected ROI on a landscape is going to be up to 20 percent.
Most experts will say do not spend more than 10 to 20 percent of your home’s value on landscaping when you are selling. Some buyers will just not like it and think of it as an expensive renovation down the road. At the same time, you are moving and will not be here to enjoy this. Put money in to make it pretty enough to sell, but don’t spend too much because you won’t be making a lot of that money back.
Save the Contact Information of a Handy Person to Assist You With Small Repairs
Everybody needs a local handyman, no matter where you live. If you live in a home, something will break one day. While you are performing your house to home renovations, you will come across that one soul that will mean the most to you when it comes to getting things fixed. Keep this number handy, and ask your handyman if that is okay.
You may be renovating now, but don’t plan on selling for a year or two. This handyman will be an excellent go-to to help you when things go wrong in the house. At the same time, if you are staying local, you will have this person on hand when you move on. A good handyman is hard to find, so keep yours when one comes your way.
When you are ready to sell your home, you may just be warming up to the idea. House to home renovations will be on your mind, as you think about all the things you want to do to get the most value for this beloved space. Use this list when selling your home as a place to start when planning this renovation. Enjoy these renovations and you’ll learn so much about homeowning for your next dream home.
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