Austin Neighborhoods | Austin Home Buyer Representation | Selling

  • (512) 827-8323
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Home Search
  • Buyers
    • Buyer Survey
  • Sellers
    • Seller Survey
  • Home Values
  • Neighborhoods
    • Neighborhood Finder
  • Luxury
  • Condos
  • Relocation
    • Relocation Survey
  • Market Reports
  • Advice
You are here: Home / Sellers / 7 Inexpensive Upgrades to Maximize ROI for Sellers

7 Inexpensive Upgrades to Maximize ROI for Sellers

November 7, 2016 By Rebecca Stoklosa

inexpensive upgrades to maximize ROI for sellers

When you’ve decided it’s time to sell, you want your home to be as appealing to potential buyers as possible. If you’re like most, you’re willing to spend a little money on improvements, but you don’t want to waste money on upgrades that won’t see a return on investment. We’ve worked with hundreds of buyers over the years and have noticed it isn’t always the most expensive remodels that make them choose a house. In fact, unless the house has the design selections a buyer would have made (which happens less often than you think), they often tell me they would prefer a house that wasn’t upgraded so they don’t have to pay for upgrades they will eventually redo. Expensive remodels, though appealing to the right buyer, may not always be the best way to maximize your return on investment when it comes time to sell. Focus on these 7 inexpensive upgrades if you want to maximize your ROI and make your home more appealing to buyers without breaking the bank. Preparing for a renovation can be easy if factors like time and money are calculated beforehand. There are many grout removal tools for every budget alongside every other tool that is needed for floor renovations or tiling work.

7 Inexpensive Upgrades to Maximize ROI for Sellers

Below we’ve put together a list of 7 inexpensive upgrades for sellers looking to get the most bang for their buck. Most of these improvements are under a few hundred bucks (some even less) and are all upgrades that create excitement with potential buyers.

Lighting Fixtures

You’d be surprised how changing lighting fixtures can completely change the look of a house. You can transform a dated, tired home into a nearly new looking home with just light fixtures. Whether the fixtures in your home are dated or are cheap looking, they are worth upgrading.

Consider installing lighted ceiling fans in bedrooms and public rooms to show energy efficiency. Modern looking fixtures in bathrooms are essential as they give the appearance of an upgraded bathroom, if you are starting a bathroom remodel we suggest to look up to a professional. Kitchen lighting is the same. Replace those cheap looking fluorescent tube lights that you’ll find in most apartments with a more modern fixture. There are even some that simulate track lighting, which will give the appearance of an upgraded kitchen.

Changing out fixtures can be a do it yourself job or a simple handyman job – no need to hire an electrician. Most handymen are comfortable changing fixtures and will charge you a fraction of what an electrician will.

Door Hardware

Door hardware is another inexpensive upgrade that really dates a house. Changing out those gold or bronze handles for a polished or satin nickel will instantly make your house appear newer than it really is. Door hardware is typically a less than $10 per door fix and can easily be changed out with a power screw driver. No handyman necessary for this fix.

Kitchen and Bath Faucets

A fancy kitchen faucet is another way to make your kitchen look like it’s gotten a fresh makeover workers from Kitchen Design Perth can help you with all the renovations you want to make. This is one item you can splurge a little on. The faucets that turn on by motion or the pull down faucets you find in most higher end kitchens are getting less expensive and buyers will be impressed. For some reason, the kitchen sink is one spot most buyers make a point to explore, not to mention how your refrigerator can be another beneficial point, that doesn’t mean you have to buy a new one, you can simply get help from the A1 Dallas Commercial Refrigeration Repair.

Bathroom faucets are another easy upgrade to draw attention away from the dated color of the bathroom cabinets. These don’t have to be too fancy, but need to be an appealing color (like nickel) that today’s buyers are looking for. Don’t buy the bottom of the line faucet, one level above basic is fine.

Kitchen furniture is also a very important part of innovating your home. You could get a High end cabinet design to make your kitchen look brand new.

Master Bathroom Shower Head

Master bathroom showers are one place where most buyers spend extra time exploring. Showers are a big deal for most buyers. You don’t have to have the biggest or most luxurious looking shower to get their attention. Install a great shower head and they will focus on that instead of the dated shower door.

Fresh Paint

A fresh coat of paint can also transform space, sandblasting boston can do it all. especially if your walls are dirty, or if you have off putting wall colors or large murals. We helped a buyer find a house and it had a huge mural painted on the living room wall. The mural was mostly black and though I’m sure it meant something to the current owner, it was very overwhelming to a new buyer and this house sat on the market. Our buyer could see through the mural and bought the house, but told me it took six coats of paint and primer to erase it.

Another example is a house that has unusually dirty walls – say from pets or kids. The rest of the house could be immaculate, but buyers will focus on the tired walls. Help buyers focus on the other upgrades you installed by painting the walls a neutral color. And – don’t forget to pain the front door!

Home Automation

inexpensive upgrades for maximum ROI for sellers home automationHome automation has gotten quite a bit of attention from buyers lately. The home automation companies have done a great job promoting the benefits of energy efficiency and the “coolness factor” of being able to change the temperature of their house from their iPhone. Whether or not a buyer needs this technology, they want it and are willing to pay more to get it. Things like Nest Thermostats, security systems monitored on your phone and key code front door locks are hugely popular. These are under $300 each and can easily be installed yourself.

Stainless Steel Color Appliances

Many appliance makers are now making stainless steel color appliances, which are a lot less expensive than their stainless steel counterparts. Most buyers are only looking for the appearance of stainless steel and some won’t even know the difference, so why spend the extra money if you are upgrading to sell? Stainless steel color appliances are something most every buyer will want when they upgrade. Don’t spend the money on design choices – like granite, cabinets, backsplashes – that might not match the buyers taste. Instead, spend the money on the appliances and buyers will make it worth your while.

Want a More Personalized List of Inexpensive Upgrades for Your Home?

Selling your home isn’t plug and play. Though we can make these generalized lists of things you can do to make your home appealing to buyers, it helps to have a more targeted list specific to your home. If you’re considering selling, have one of our home selling specialists come out to your house and help you make a targeted list of things you can do to maximize your return on investment. Simply fill out our Seller Survey and one of our home selling specialists will contact you to schedule an in-home consultation.

Thinking About Selling Your Home in Austin?

We can help! We have a combined 58+ years experience in real estate, we know the Austin real estate market and have undoubtedly the best home marketing plan in Austin. If you’re looking for someone who will market your house, not use your house to get their next buyer client, call us at (512) 827-8323, email us at info@11OaksRealty.com or fill out our Seller Survey to schedule a time to talk. Not convinced we’re the right people yet? Check out our Austin Home Sellers section for more info about our proven home selling system guaranteed to get you the most money in the shortest time.

Upgrade your Garage

Fееlіng squeezed fоr ѕрасе іn your hоmе? Uрgrаdіng your gаrаgе may bе thе solution. Whеthеr уоu opt fоr a соmрlеtе gаrаgе rеmоdеl оr juѕt a fеw ѕmаll сhаngеѕ like getting garage door repair services, уоu’ll bе adding so much more value to your home.

Hеrе’ѕ whаt you’ll nееd tо plan fоr, to make уоur gаrаgе uрgrаdе a uѕаblе аnd comfortable ѕuссеѕѕ.

Plumbіng
Jоb Onе іn your gаrаgе uрgrаdе іѕ рlumbіng, a necessity if you are gоіng tо bе wоrkіng or rеlаxіng in уоur new gаrаgе mаn саvе, wоrkѕhор, еxtrа bеdrооm, оr whаt hаvе you fоr any length оf tіmе. Yоu’ll dеfіnіtеlу need a tоіlеt, and a sink fоr сооkіng оr wеt bаr facilities mіght bе nice too. Dо уоu аlrеаdу have a рlumbіng hооkuр іn the gаrаgе fоr уоur wаѕhіng mасhіnе? If ѕо, уоu’rе іn luck. If уоu’ll be putting in a nеw water lіnе, dо it bеfоrе уоu mаkе аnу оthеr uрgrаdеѕ, ѕuсh аѕ flooring.

Flооrіng
Mоѕt gаrаgеѕ аrе flооrеd wіth concrete, whісh is often іn pretty rough ѕhаре. Clean thе flооr well, treating аnу оіl stains with murіаtіс асіd, and hаvе a concrete specialist rераіr сrасkѕ and ріttіng. Yоu might then ѕіmрlу раіnt and ѕеаl thе surface оnсе it іѕ drу. Whеn уоu аrе going to uѕе thе garage as a hоmе office оr living ѕрасе, уоu’ll want ѕоmеthіng рlеаѕаntеr beneath уоur fееt, thоugh. If thе gаrаgе іѕ еаrmаrkеd аѕ a wоrkѕhор, pick аn еаѕу-tо-сlеаn mаtеrіаl ѕuсh as vіnуl tile, whісh can be рlасеd dіrесtlу аtор thе sealed соnсrеtе. Othеrwіѕе, саrреtіng соuld thе right сhоісе, оffеrіng wаrmth and rеѕіlіеnсе; іn thіѕ саѕе, you’ll nееd to іnѕtаll a vapor bаrrіеr аnd a рlуwооd ѕubflооr.

Hеаtіng аnd Cооlіng

You mау be аblе tо еxtеnd the heating аnd сооlіng duсtwоrk frоm уоur home tо tіе іn an attached garage. If thіѕ is nоt thе case оr іf уоur garage іѕ dеtасhеd, уоu will need to dесіdе оn a mеthоd оf HVAC, in this case Ottawa IL HVAC services would result very useful if you need to change your air conditioner. A duсtlеѕѕ mini split аіr соndіtіоnеr іѕ convenient аnd efficient for thе ѕummеr mоnthѕ. In cold wеаthеr, baseboard hеаtеrѕ will work well tо hеаt thе ѕрасе. An еlесtrіс fіrерlасе is аnоthеr роѕѕіbіlіtу that wіll рrоvіdе уоu wіth bоth hеаt аnd a соzу ambience.

How Much is My Austin Home Worth?

Our Market Snapshot tool can help you estimate what your Austin home might be worth. Unlike most other online home value estimators that base their estimates on unreliable public records, our Market Snapshot tool bases the analysis on the same data Realtors use, making the value much more accurate. If you’re curious to find out how much your Austin home is worth, all we need is your address and your email. Simply fill out the form below and we’ll get the Market Snapshot for your home sent to you right away. Need a more detailed analysis? Try our Qualified Home Evaluation.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Sellers Tagged With: DIY Home Improvements, Low Cost Home Improvements, Seller Tips, Updating to Sell

About Rebecca Stoklosa

Rebecca has founded her success in real estate on a commitment to personalized service. Clients appreciate her dedication to not only the success of their transaction, but their very peace of mind. She is particularly adept at creating bridges to make home buying and relocation as seamless as possible.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Austin Home Search

Getting Specific

Austin Accolades Best Neighborhoods Buyer Beware Buyer Tips Buying in a Seller's Market Buying Investment Property Choosing the Right Neighborhood Christmas Condo Market Cost of Living First Time Home Buyers Food Foreclosures Frequent Buyer Questions Frequent Seller Questions Fun Things to Do Getting a Loan Growth Home Values Housing Market How To Interpreting the Market Job Market Luxury Homes Luxury Housing Market Master Planned Communities Multi Family Housing Market Neighborhood Maps New Construction Predicting the Market Preparing to Sell Property Taxes Questions to Ask Real Estate Key Terms Relocation Tips Researching Your Move Saving Money Seller Tips Selling for Top Dollar Suburbs Timing the Market Top 10 Lists Top Rated Schools Visiting Austin Zip Codes

Recent Posts

  • October 2019 Austin Real Estate Price Report
  • 800 Valdez St #B Austin TX 78741 | Home for Sale
  • Gated Communities in Georgetown
  • September 2019 Austin Luxury Real Estate Price Report
  • September 2019 Austin Foreclosure Market Report
  • September 2019 Austin Multi Family Real Estate Price Report
  • September 2019 Austin Condo Price Report

What We Write About

  • Buying a Home
  • Selling a Home
  • Investing in Real Estate
  • Relocating to Austin
  • New Construction in Austin
  • Austin Homes & Neighborhoods
  • Austin Real Estate Price Reports
  • Home Ownership
  • Living in Austin
  • Things to Do in Austin

Raymond Stoklosa – Broker/Owner, CRS

Raymond Stoklosa is the Chairman and Managing Broker of Eleven Oaks Realty. Raymond has been a respected authority in residential real estate since 1978. Having sold more than $150 million worth of real estate... Read More…

Rebecca Stoklosa – CRS, ABR, SFR

Rebecca Stoklosa is the Chief Operating Officer of Eleven Oaks Realty. She specializes in relocating buyers and home sales in South & Central Austin. Rebecca brings a passion for customer-service to the leadership team. Read More…

Cassandra Stoklosa – MBA

Cassandra joined Eleven Oaks Realty following a successful career managing digital campaigns at several household brands including Walmart, L’Oreal, and Golfsmith. She has also worked in real estate marketing in three of the hottest markets in the U.S. – New York City, San Francisco and Austin. Read More…

Copyright © 2019. Eleven Oaks Realty, Licensed in the State of Texas by TREC. (512) 827-8323