Increase home value for only a little money

If you’re like most, your home is your biggest investment and you want to get the most money possible when selling it.

Getting top dollar for your house means it needs to look its best when putting it on the market. It’s got to be clean and in good repair both inside and out for good “curb appeal.”

•De-clutter should be first on the list. Getting rid of excess furniture, pictures and knickknacks will make a home look more spacious and livable. Also, have the home professionally cleaned. Along with de-cluttering, this can give a home a new look.

•If the home is dated and needs upgrading, start with the kitchen. Many times you can keep the cabinets and re-stain, paint or replace the doors and hardware to cut costs. Replace the countertops with what similar homes have in the area. For example, don’t go granite if others have laminate or you won’t get the cost back. The same is true for the flooring, appliances and fixtures.

•Tiling counters can be a fun, low cost and creative do-it-yourself project. If you’re new to laying tile, many home centers have tiling classes and rent the tools needed. Do-it-yourself kitchen, bath and entryway tile floors can create great looking results and add much more than the cost to the home’s value. By shopping around you can get some great deals on discontinued tile, sales and overstocks.

•Upgrading the bathrooms also doesn’t have to be costly. Concentrate on new lights, mirrors and paint to give a boring bathroom new life.

•Paint is one of the best lowcost ways to dress up a home and add to its value. Check out model homes and decorator magazines for popular color schemes. Avoid bright and offbeat colors—these can actually lower a home’s value. •Don’t forget the outside. Curb

appeal is also critical. De-clutter and make the yard attractive. Green and trimmed lawns, attractive flower gardens and fences in good repair add value. Paint or stain wood fences and sheds.

•Cracked and deteriorating concrete along with sunken sections can slice thousands of dollars off a home’s value. Potential buyers see these problems and go into price cutting mode wondering what other problems lurk that they can’t see.

•Once a house is sparkling clean and upgraded, the next step is to “stage” it. Staging a home means putting some things in storage, reorganizing what’s left and decorating to make it inviting. It’s kind of like designing your home to appeal to buyers. Consider baking cookies or burning scented candles to make it smell like home sweet home.

This story is provided by State Point Media.