How to Make Your Old Home New
When it comes time to sell your home, upgrades and a bit of sprucing up the place are definitely in order. It’s not just about repairing that hole in the drywall from the time your child tried to ride their sled down the stairs; it’s also about making the home look and feel new.
After all, most buyers have the implicit expectation that the home will be “new,” even though it probably wasn’t built last week, simply because it’s new to them. The more you can cater to this expectation, the better.
There are many different, inexpensive ways to update older homes to make them appear fresh and new. Supplies such as paint do not have to cost a great deal to yield huge results. By adding new finishes, lighting and other decorating items, it’s entirely possible to create a whole new appearance to an outdated home. The result is a house with added visual appeal and, many times, a more valuable market price.
Get in there and do a deep cleaning.
We’re talking about a deep clean here, not a the-in-laws-are-coming-for-dinner clean. Start by cleaning the home as if you were going to entertain the Pope or a head of state, and then you’ll be 25% of the way there.
You’ll want to pay attention to things like the trim and baseboards, which accumulate dust over the years, especially behind the couch or entertainment center. Scrub down the inside of your oven and other cooking appliances so they look shiny and new both inside and out.
The bathrooms, kitchen, and laundry room should be spic and span, and don’t forget to move the washer and dryer (if you can) and clean underneath and behind them too. There are many more areas to consider in a deep clean that vary depending on the style and size of your home, but a good rule of thumb here is, “when you think you’re done, keep looking for things to clean.”
A fresh coat of paint works wonders.
Repainting most if not all the rooms in your home is pretty much a must if you’re thinking of selling. It’s one of the least expensive ways to make your home look newer and increase its appeal to buyers.
Consider going with new colors, with a particular focus on neutral tones, and making sure the color scheme is consistent throughout the home and makes sense aesthetically (you can read a bit more on this here).
Fresh paint gives a well-taken care of look and makes the home seem new to buyers, while neutral tones give them a blank slate to imagine themselves living in and redecorating the place.
Rearrange your furniture or replace it.
If your furniture is in good condition, simply rearranging it will give rooms an airier feel with a fresh vibe. This would be worth doing every so often even if you’re not selling your home.
If you’re staging your home, then consider arranging furniture to maximize the space in each room and give interested buyers a wide, clean layout to enjoy. The more they see pleasing aesthetics, the more comfortably they can imagine themselves living in the home.
Obviously, if your furniture is worn, stained, or covered in cat hair, replace it even if you’re not leaving said furniture in the house after selling it. Again, appearances matter. Buyers may know on an objective level that you’re not leaving that couch with a hole in the cushion behind, but its presence will color their perception of the home nonetheless.
Replace fixtures.
This is another easy, inexpensive fix. Older fixtures look dated even if they’re in perfect condition, and most buyers will appreciate a modern feel. To that end, head to the hardware store and stock up on trendy, modern-looking faucets and light fixtures.
You’d be surprised how much you can improve the look of your bathroom with the simple addition of new light and sink fixtures.
The same goes for kitchens and even living areas. A brushed steel faucet in the kitchen and trading in your grandmother’s lamp for track lighting in the living room gives your home a modern, contemporary feel that’s highly attractive to potential buyers.
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- Get It Right Solutions