Minor upgrades can mean more dollars at sale time
By Jon Gulliver
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — The weather is warming up, the buds are coming out on the trees and people are thinking about doing some home improvements this spring. If selling that home is also in your plan for the future there are some upgrades, fixes and projects which will help increase the value of the property.
Jane Towle is a realtor and owner of Remax/Central in Presque Isle. She advises people to remember this rule of thumb.
“Don’t put a dollar into your house if you don’t think you are going to get a dollar fifty out,” Towle said. “It used to be put a dollar in get a dollar out, but now in today’s economy you don’t want to put a dollar into the home unless you can get that dollar fifty back.”
Besides the traditional kitchen and bathroom upgrades, curb appeal means a lot to buyers according to Towle.
“Landscaping is a great place to put your money,” she said. “Buyers often make the decision based on the outside and say they will make the inside work.”
“Spruce up the flower beds, make sure there are no weeds popping up through the drive or walkways, nice green lawn, just neat and clean and that doesn’t cost a lot of money,” stressed Towle.
She also said make sure the shrubbery is well maintained and it doesn’t hurt to plant some annuals around the house to add a little color.
“A lot of times we will have a difficult time getting someone into a home to show them if they don’t like the outside,” said Towle.
Jumping back to the inside, it’s important, if you are making improvements to aid in the sale, to not over improve.
“Don’t let your likes, wants and needs take over, you need to think about what a buyer’s likes, wants and needs are,” she said.
That’s where neutral colors and the most common denominator come into play.
“When you are selling a home, having the most unique of something, cuts into your pool of potential buyers,” said Towle.
If person has a $1,000 budget for renovations and improvements Towle suggests using that money in the bathroom.
“You can do a lot in a bathroom for a $1,000 or less,” she said. “Change out the cabinet, change out the floor and it doesn’t necessarily have to be tile. There are many types of vinyl out there today which is very nice.”
Towle also has this advice for people who may not need or what to sell right away.
“If the seller can enjoy it [the home improvements] pick what you like,” she said.
If you are looking for a simple and easy improvement, the first thing to do is clean the interior of your home from top to bottom. Dust every nook and cranny. Cleaning is the cheapest home improvement any seller can undertake. It just takes a little time and effort.
You don’t always need to do major renovations to improve the likelihood of a home selling. Simple improvements to a house can pay big dividends in the final sale price and in the speed of the property sale.
