8 Quick Fixes to Increase Value
To attract buyers, sellers must up the ante to convince them that their property offers what many want most — top
value for dollar expended. Here are eight fast fixes:
1. Buff up curb appeal. You’ve heard it before, but it’s critical to get buyers to want to look on the inside. Be objective. View
listings from the street. Check the condition of the landscaping, paint, roof, shutters, front door, knocker, windows, house
number, and even how window treatments look from the outside. Add something special — such as big flower pots or an
antique bench — to help viewers remember house A from B.
2. Enrich with color. Paint’s cheap, but forget the adage that it must be white or neutral. Just don’t get too avant-garde with
jarring pinks, oranges, and purples. Soft colors that say “welcome,” lead the eye from room to room, and flatter skin tones.
Think soft yellows and pale greens. Tint ceilings a lighter shade.
3. Upgrade the kitchen and bathroom. These make-or-break rooms can spur a sale. But besides making each squeaky
clean and clutter-free, update the pulls, sinks, and faucets. In a kitchen, add one cool appliance, such as an espresso
maker. In the bathroom, hang a flat-screen TV to mimic a hotel. Room service, anyone?
4. Add old-world patina. Make Andrea Palladio proud. Install crown molding at least six to nine inches in depth, proportional
to the room size, and architecturally compatible. For ceilings nine feet high or higher, add dentil detailing, small tooth-
shaped blocks used as a repeating ornament. It’s all in the details, after all.
5. Screen hardwood floors. Buyers favor wood over carpet, but refinishing is costly and time-consuming. Screening cuts
dust, time, and expense. What it entails: a light sanding, not a full stripping of color or polyurethane, then a coat of finish.
6. Clean out and organize closets. Get sorting — organize your piles into “don’t need,” “haven’t worn,” and “keep.” Closets
must be only half-full so buyers can visualize fitting their stuff in.
7. Update window treatments. Buyers want light and views, not dated, fancy-schmancy drapes that darken. To diffuse light
and add privacy, consider energy-efficient shades and blinds.
8. Hire a home inspector and do a preemptive strike. Since busy home owners seek maintenance-free living. Fix
problems before you list the home and then display receipts and wait for buyers to offer kudos to sellers for being so
responsible.
value for dollar expended. Here are eight fast fixes:
1. Buff up curb appeal. You’ve heard it before, but it’s critical to get buyers to want to look on the inside. Be objective. View
listings from the street. Check the condition of the landscaping, paint, roof, shutters, front door, knocker, windows, house
number, and even how window treatments look from the outside. Add something special — such as big flower pots or an
antique bench — to help viewers remember house A from B.
2. Enrich with color. Paint’s cheap, but forget the adage that it must be white or neutral. Just don’t get too avant-garde with
jarring pinks, oranges, and purples. Soft colors that say “welcome,” lead the eye from room to room, and flatter skin tones.
Think soft yellows and pale greens. Tint ceilings a lighter shade.
3. Upgrade the kitchen and bathroom. These make-or-break rooms can spur a sale. But besides making each squeaky
clean and clutter-free, update the pulls, sinks, and faucets. In a kitchen, add one cool appliance, such as an espresso
maker. In the bathroom, hang a flat-screen TV to mimic a hotel. Room service, anyone?
4. Add old-world patina. Make Andrea Palladio proud. Install crown molding at least six to nine inches in depth, proportional
to the room size, and architecturally compatible. For ceilings nine feet high or higher, add dentil detailing, small tooth-
shaped blocks used as a repeating ornament. It’s all in the details, after all.
5. Screen hardwood floors. Buyers favor wood over carpet, but refinishing is costly and time-consuming. Screening cuts
dust, time, and expense. What it entails: a light sanding, not a full stripping of color or polyurethane, then a coat of finish.
6. Clean out and organize closets. Get sorting — organize your piles into “don’t need,” “haven’t worn,” and “keep.” Closets
must be only half-full so buyers can visualize fitting their stuff in.
7. Update window treatments. Buyers want light and views, not dated, fancy-schmancy drapes that darken. To diffuse light
and add privacy, consider energy-efficient shades and blinds.
8. Hire a home inspector and do a preemptive strike. Since busy home owners seek maintenance-free living. Fix
problems before you list the home and then display receipts and wait for buyers to offer kudos to sellers for being so
responsible.
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