If you’re selling your home, you want to be able to make a good profit—but are there things in your house that are preventing you from getting the maximum amount possible? While a complete remodel would be nice, it is not possible for most sellers due to the high cost and short timeframe.

But don’t worry, there are lots of relatively small changes you can make in your home to make it more appealing to buyers. While taste is always in the eye of the beholder (or buyer, in this case) here are five ways you can very likely increase the value of your home before you put it out on the market.

1. Get Rid of the Popcorn Ceilings

Nothing screams, “outdated home” more than popcorn ceilings. Made popular in the 1950s to hide imperfections in the ceiling and make rooms more soundproof, popcorn ceilings can cause quite the negative reaction from a potential homebuyer. Smoothing out these textured ceilings isn’t necessarily difficult, but it can be tedious and labor intensive. If you can hire someone to scrape off or otherwise eliminate the popcorn texture on your ceilings it might help you snare a potential homebuyer. Please only hire certified professionals for this type of work, however, because these ceiling materials may occasionally contain asbestos, which can be highly toxic. The EPA banned the use of asbestos in textured ceiling paint in 1977, but it’s possible that removing the popcorn ceiling from your older home could be hazardous.

2. Replace Builder-Grade Mirrors

Builder-grade mirrors aren’t exactly ugly, but they just don’t add a lot of charm or detail to your bathroom. If you’re preparing to sell your home, an easy way to change the look of your bathroom(s) – one of the largest selling points in the house – is to change out these plain mirrors with something more stylish. It doesn’t have to be hugely expensive, however. There should be plenty of mirrors available at your local home improvement or department store that bring a little more personality or style than the original mirror. There are also lots of DIY tutorials on building a custom frame for a builder-grade mirror if you’re interested in doing some work yourself. You’d be amazed at how impactful this small change can be for the overall look of the room.

3. Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Younger buyers especially are looking for homes that are energy efficient so they can lock in lower utility bills and improve their carbon footprint at the same time. Installing solar panels would be the biggest way you could make your home more energy efficient, but this can be very expensive. If going all the way solar isn’t an option for you, there are several small changes that can make your home greener. You can upgrade or replace the windows with energy-efficient models or you can boost efficiency with weather stripping to improve insulation of the home. Adding ceiling fans to bedrooms and living spaces is also a great way to make the home more energy efficient because it means you’ll rely less on air conditioning to cool it down. Installing low-flow fixtures for showers and baths is another great way to make your home run more efficiently. These types of changes could definitely appeal to certain homebuyers.

4. Trim Up Your Landscaping

The front yard is your home’s first impression on a potential buyer, so you want to make sure it’s a good one. One of the simplest and quickest ways to increase the value of your home is by making sure you have great curb appeal. Start by doing simple things like mowing and edging, and then consider adding in some easy-to-care-for shrubs and flowers (or care for the existing ones). There’s no need to make an Eden out of the yard, but just make sure that everything looks neat and tidy. Also be sure trim the dead tree limbs off any large trees and remove dead leaves from your yard so it will look more aesthetically pleasing to a prospective buyer.

5. Modernize Your Kitchen

The kitchen is the selling point of the home. Outdated kitchens can easily put off buyers because it’s such an important space in their everyday lives. Take a look around your kitchen and take stock of what could be improved to be more appealing to a buyer. A complete kitchen remodel is very expensive, but there are small things you can do to modernize it on a budget. First, if you have any kind of wallpaper, you may want to remove it and paint the walls white to give it a clean, modern look. Upgrade the sink fixtures and consider changing out the backsplash to something with mass appeal, such as white subway tiles. If you are able to find room in your budget, adding quartz or marble countertops and updated appliances will really make your kitchen stand out to buyers, and will likely increase the value of your home.

Please don't hesitate to call me at 520-248-1239 at any time.  Evenings and weekends are fine.  Or, email me at grichman@RichmanTucsonHomes.com. I have a marketing plan that works when selling property, and I can assist you in purchasing a home that suits your current needs and wants.  

By: Benjamin Feldman, Unison