Increase Your Sale Value with Sweat Equity

If you’re in the market to sell your home, you want to get the highest sale price possible from it. The best way to increase the value of your home, and thus the offers you will receive, is to sweat a little bit and perform minor improvements that result in big dollar signs at closing time.

Even if you have no experience in design or repairing property of any kind, there are several tools available at your local hardware store to meet this goal. Many times, you can simply visit the store and ask the knowledgeable salespeople about small, easy projects that don’t cost an arm and a leg.

As a seller, you have to view your home through the buyer’s eyes. What is your neighborhood like? Is there trash alongside the road, or old cars in your neighbor’s driveway and yard? If so, ask them to kindly clean up their own properties or offer to do it yourself prior to showing day.

Make sure the lawns are also mowed and neatly kept; this may require you to offer to mow your direct neighbors’ lawns on either side of your property. Haul their trash to the dump, or offer a small incentive at the culmination of a sale in order to motivate them to help you sell.

Keep your own lawn tidy and well-kept, mowing it often and laying down sod or grass seed in any areas that are bare. Head to the nearest greenhouse and plant colorful flowers around large trees and the perimeter of the property for an added sense of “hominess”. These small things are extremely important; it’s the first area a potential buyer will see when arriving at your property!

Usually, an inspection will take place on the buyer’s behalf before the papers are signed. You will be able to save yourself significant cost and heartache by commissioning your own inspection and fixing any minor repairs needed throughout the house. Dripping faucets and leaky plumbing can easily be fixed with a just a few of your everyday tools.

Flooring can become quite costly if you’re thinking of replacing, but a good cleaning is easily finished with $100 and some time and sweat of your own. Replace any old and worn rugs and mats, and if there are any unsightly stains that simply won’t leave, just cover them up with a piece of furniture or throw rug.

You needn’t replace all of your windows, but screens can be replaced for a few dollars each, and will greatly improve the appearance of the external appearance of your house. Screens are also easily repaired or replaced using kits available at your local hardware store.

That being said, if there are broken or cracked windows, you’ll need to replace them to prevent added cost to you during negotiations.

Finally, give your home a good cleaning like it’s never seen before, and keep it that way until you sign on the dotted line. Any paint scratches or marks should be touched up in order to put that clean and polished look in every area of your home, and you’ll receive your investment multiple times over at closing!