Zillow Advice: Home Improvement - What's the best way to add value to a home?

There is a never ending list ...

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 10:52:00 GMT

There is a never ending list of things you can do to improve your property value, but you also have to make sure the ROI make sense. Pouring 10's of thousands into a new roof or newÂ sewer line, can you really get that money back from the selling price?Â
The cheapest, best ROI things you can do:
- Paint (inside and out), keep it neutral and light. A fresh paint can do wonders to your curb-appeal, and make the inside look grand and new
- Clean, the bathroom and kitchen must be spotless, these are the deal maker/breaker of a home
- De-clutter, remove everything you haven't used in awhile, keep the counters and tables cleared
- Stage, hire home staging professionals, or at least watch lot of HGTV and do your best, remove personal photos, magnets on the fridge, excessive religious decors, etc... presentation is everything!

GO CHEAP! Pack up 2/3 of ...

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:57:00 GMT

GO CHEAP! Pack up 2/3 of the house and buy some paint. CLEAN THE HOUSE and YARD! You do NOT get back 100% return on all the remodeling you do to the house except for a deck so why spend the money if you can't enjoy it. Unless the fixtures are very dated and in disrepair, start with the small stuff first (door knobs, light fixtures, kitchen cabinet hardware, etc, you get the idea.) KISS. Keep It Simple Seller. If that does'nt work go with what Igraf said above.

I find leaving gold nuggets ...

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 20:08:00 GMT

I find leaving gold nuggets scattered about the house adds value and really sways a buyers interest.

As I just said in another ...

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:20:00 GMT

As I just said in another post... I would not update until right before I was going to sell. That way I do what's popular at the time and get the highest value. I would definitely have SEVERAL agents view my property, and I would also go look at other properties that agents state are 'updated', so I had a clear idea of what 'updated' means.

The recent house I bid on was devalued $50,000 for not having 'landscaping'. It did have landscaping, just not the same as the other homes.

You need to walk the property ...

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 01:21:00 GMT

You need to walk the property and look for missed opportunities. A space not being utilized fully like an attic or car port. A view being missed account of small windows. Updates that need being done especially in Kit/Bath rooms. Install high end in high end and ok in average. Sometimes picking out the single most irritating deficit (you probably already know it) and fixing it is good. Sometimes a complete demo is called for.

As much as the kitchen is ...

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:45:00 GMT

As much as the kitchen is important, curb appeal is key! If it doesn't have that, who cares what the inside looks like.

If you already have that, concentrate on the kitchen. For counters, forget the concrete (this will soon be a passing phase), forget the SS counters, forget Formica and forget Corrian (this will already date your house). Granite is still #1 and survives time and the trends.

Be careful when watching these real estate shows (A&E, HGTV) on how to add value. Many of these show I have found to be VERY misleading. Remember, they are their to entertain!

Kitchen and Bathroom areas ...

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:10:00 GMT

Kitchen and Bathroom areas are usually where you want to invest remodeling dollars.

Clean, paint, fix the roof ...

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 03:24:00 GMT

Clean, paint, fix the roof and any other structural problems. Make sure all the mechanicals work. Then do the floors.

Don't shell out for granite. Too expensive. If the laminate looks bad, consider replacing it with butcher block.

If the cabinets are dark and look like they're from 1970, I'd sand and paint them and replace the hardware.

If the appliances are rusty, scratched, in poor working condition, replace them. But don't shell out for stainless steel. Basic white will do. If your appliances are kind of retro-looking, some people really ike that. As long as they're clean and in good condition.

As for the bathroom, if you have those sliding glass doors on the tub, get rid of them. If there are little non-skid appliques on the bottom of the tub -- get rid of them. If your shower curtain has fish, or sea shells or anything cutesy on it -- get rid of it. Basic white works best. If the grout is yellowed or cracked, bleach and/or repair it. Hang fresh white towels and a fresh white curtain with metal rings, not plastic.

If you have wall paper borders anywhere in the house -- get rid of them. Keep it simple. Painted walls, contrasting trim. Neutral colors.

Lastly -- no stinky smells in the house. I recently looked at a property, and the minute you walked in the door you were hit with the smell of rancid cooking grease. The guy was a cook, and proud of it. But old onion skins, garlic and rancid tomatoes in the garbage can is not what I want to smell when I'm looking at a place. Take the garbage out. Clean the fridge. And if you must cook, bake a pie. It's much more appealing.

mcfriendlyosx- Well said. ...

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 22:25:00 GMT

mcfriendlyosx- Well said. In my experience a good remodel on things you can afford will do you good but it is best to do it when you have the time and money, which all of our lives are busy enough. But a good scrub down and de-clutterizing can do wonders, also its hard to go wrong when selling your house to gave a paint touch up, buyers really notice that. Over all you want your house to feel like you like living there and your proud of it when you are selling it because buyers can tell if you do and that can make up their minds right then and there, just by how the house makes you feel. Remember it is the little things that count.

Lots of great suggestions ...

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:07:00 GMT

Lots of great suggestions but in the end it comes down to how much money and time do you have to put into your property.

My choice in ORDER of $:
CLEANING everywhere..... dirt is a turnoff (including rugs, floors, windows, no trash, etc.) NO MOLD!
Eliminate massive furniture - (no matter what the square footage less furniture will make your house seem bigger.)
Make any repairs to basic infrastructure (no leaks anywhere, no bare wires, everything works!)
Upgrades to bathroom(s) - perhaps a new vanity or replace counters with cheap granite.
Work on curb appeal - water plants (buy some!) pull weeds, fix cracks, paint front door and trim, replace locks if old and worn.

MOVING ON TO THE $$$$ ITEMS

Replace master bathroom fixtures if necessary (a bathroom remodel costs between $3,000-15,000+)

Replace any worn flooring (sometimes cheaper to refinish hardwood floors if available.)

Work on the kitchen (paint cabinets, replace faucets, replace counter tops), etc.

I really agree whatever LOST SPACE in the basement that can be reclaimed as living space at a reasonable cost should be considered.

LAST THOUGHTS....

Don't push yourself deeply in remodeling debt. Given the current status of real estate you might actually loose money.