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Renovate your house cheaply before you sell it

You’ve made the decision to sell your home and you want to make a great impression on potential buyers. There are some simple and inexpensive things you can do around your home to prepare for that all-important first impression. The same information applies to rental property if you hope to attract tenants.

Are the outlet plates old? Is it the light switch covers? Or worse yet, are they painted? White or off-white plastic covers are about 50 cents each. You can replace an entire house for $20 – $30. If you have a little more money to spend on your makeover, shop for shiny brass countertops for the living room and foyer. If you can afford to do the whole house, consider adding the master bedroom to the list. At about $5 each, brass covers add a lot of class for a small amount of cash.

Are the interior doors basic brown hollow core doors? Consider replacing them with nice white doors. You can paint your existing doors, but it will take about three coats of paint to adequately cover the brown siding, so it may be worth spending the money on new doors. A pre-assembled and pre-primed hollow core door will cost about $20. Also consider replacing any door knobs or handles, especially if they are old, worn, or painted. A nice brass-finish doorknob will cost around $10. S-shaped handles add so much class and are only around $20 each.

The walls look pretty good, so you’ve decided not to paint. Paint the trim at least. Most rentals and modern homes have off-white walls with white trim. Use a semi-gloss paint for trim around doors, windows, and on floorboards. If your floor boards are worn, you can get prepainted foam molding at any DIY store for about 50 cents per linear foot. Consider adding crown molding at least in the living room and entryway.

As the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a good first impression. Think of the front door, which is the first thing people will notice. If your front door is cheap and old, the property will look the same. If the door is heavy, paint it a bright color with high-gloss paint. If you have to replace your front door, a new one will cost around $125 and the return on investment will be well worth it.

Is the entryway or hallway covered in linoleum? Consider replacing it with Mexican tile. An 8 x 8 area will only cost about $100 in materials.

One that is often forgotten or overlooked is the bathroom. Hang up a new shower curtain. Replace the old shower rod. Use new shower hooks. A nice shower curtain makes the bathroom look more finished and will only cost about $40. Again, that’s not a lot of money for a lot of class.

Most Americans spend most of their time in the kitchen if they are not watching TV or sleeping. Take a look at the kitchen cabinets. Is it the dark woods from the 70’s? Are they scratched? Worth? Ancient? Just ugly? paint them Don’t worry about painting the inside of cabinets unless you have a spray gun. Paint the cabinet doors and trim with a semi-gloss paint and swap out the knobs for nice plastic ones. Putting a good faucet also makes a good first impression in the kitchen. They’ll cost around $150, but if you look at the newspapers and flyers, DIY centers will frequently hold sales on overstocked merchandise.

Following these few tips and spending a little money can mean the difference between selling your house quickly or renting it quickly.

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