7 Ways to Increase the Value of Your House Before a Big Sale

(Photo : Pavel Danilyuk from Pexels)

In the last few years, home prices have been steadily increasing across the entire North America. Just ten years ago, an average house price was around $300,000, a figure that rose to approximately $500,000 in 2023. That's an increase of almost 70% in a decade, which is a lot if we consider the 30% inflation during the same period. 

Although higher prices are disastrous for buyers, they provide an excellent opportunity for sellers. Making a few small improvements can easily boost your home value by several thousands of dollars, allowing you to make big bucks with minimal effort.

In this article, we'll go through 7 methods for increasing home value. We focused on small tricks and improvements that would provide maximum impact with minimal investment. 

1. Make small repairs 

Even if potential buyers don't notice small breakdowns during the initial visits, they'll be notified after a home inspection. So, whether you like it or not, you'll have to address these issues as soon as possible.

"Fixing leaks and broken tiles can help make a better first impression," According to Cinch Home Services a home warranty in Colorado "can help you ensure your house is in tip-top shape." This is vital for homeowners who ramped up their prices. It also helps when there are several bidders for the property, as it would make them bite even harder.

2. Clean your home

Cleaning and decluttering is the oldest trick in the book, making your house or apartment appear much bigger than it is. Even better, you can do it without anyone's assistance or investing in tools and materials. Alternatively, you can hire a professional cleaning agency, which would cost you from $200 to $250.

In many cases, decluttering is an integral part of the relocation process. If you're thinking about moving to another house, we suggest you rent storage space and remove as much furniture as possible (especially the older pieces). Having a nice interior design can also make an impression on potential buyers, making an impression that the house was well-kept during your ownership.

3. Introduce energy-efficient solutions

Nowadays, many homeowners are looking for energy-efficient homes as a way of cutting their utility costs. Some families are prepared to pay top dollar for a home with a smart thermostat, good insulation, and a new boiler, especially if they don't want to hassle installing these systems. 

Still, this doesn't mean you should completely revamp your home and invest thousands of dollars in gadgets. Introducing these improvements makes the most sense when there's high market demand and low supply. In these cases, you can oversell the house by quoting energy efficiency as the main reason for a higher price.

4. Increase useful size 

As houses are valued based on livable area, you can significantly boost the asking price by adding a wing. Introducing a new section is especially useful if you're lacking specific rooms, such as bathrooms, or if it helps increase the overall functionality. 

Before starting the project, we suggest that you analyze the existing offer in your neighborhood. Increasing useful size is fantastic for areas where most homes are relatively small, as it can house larger families. Among others, adding a new wing is fantastic for buyers who live with in-laws but want to give them separate living quarters.   

5. Change room layout 

While this trick doesn't work in all situations, it can be a difference-maker for apartments with awful layouts. These properties usually struggle to sell as they have a glaring flaw (for example, a big apartment with just two rooms). So, by addressing the issue, you can get a price that is closer to the market average. 

6. Add fresh paint

An interior paint job will cost you anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000, depending on the state and house size. Painting exterior goes at a much higher price, ranging from $2,000 to $4,500. 

Of course, you can also do the work yourself, which would cost you about $2 per square foot and would maximize your potential returns. However, this only works if you're good, as a sloppy paint job can actually drive the previous asking price down.

7. Improve curb appeal 

When we talk about curb improvements, we don't necessarily mean planting flowers (although this will work as well). Instead, we want to focus on smaller tasks such as cleaning your windows and driveway and cutting the grass. Fixing the parts of a broken fence and painting it can also go a long way in boosting the property's price.