Adding Value

Which items will add value to your home and help with resale when the time comes to sell?

The answer is: “Only the ones that future buyers will also want and be willing to pay for.”

As a general rule, choosing the functional over the merely cosmetic and choosing neutral over unusual or exotic will pay at resale. Taste and current trends can also affect the value of an update. Unusual colors have a limited appeal.

Which updates will add the most value to your home?

  • Update your kitchen and/or bathrooms. Whether you need a minor or major remodel, updating the kitchen or bathrooms in your home will yield a high return on investment. Stay timeless with your updates, but also pay attention to trends. 
  • Increase usable space. Add an extra bathroom, upgrade or expand your kitchen and/or master bedroom suite, add more closet space, or convert any unused space into a more functional space, like a spare bedroom to a home office or basement into the ultimate hangout space.
  • Lighten and brighten your rooms. Paint rooms white or with a light colour paint to neurtalize your space. Add skylights, windows, or French doors.
  • Revamp the exterior. Updated landscaping will draw in buyers before they even walk through the door. Keep your shrubs, trees, and grass trimmed and tidy. Add a splash of colour with vibrant plants or by painting the front door an eye-catching color. Consider a focal point like a flagstone walkway or a water feature. 

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6 Ways to Prep Your Home to Sell 

1. Fresh Paint

This is one of the more efficient and least expensive ways to spruce up the rooms in your home. Getting a fresh coat of paint on walls will instantly brighten them up and make the home look like new. Wake up drab rooms with a splash of colour. Use more neutral colors for a safer, more current and updated look. Painting rooms also helps to maximize space and make them appear larger and is one of the biggest returns on your investment of any home improvement project.

If you're looking for advice on how to paint your home you can head here for our DIY Guide!

2. Improve Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is as important as ever. If you are attempting to sell your home in winter months be sure to remove snow from driveways and walkways. This is an easy way to isntantly improve curb appeal. 

If you are selling your Ottawa home in the spring be sure to get rid of dead leaves, branches, and weeds which may be showing through the snow, or on walkways you’ve cleared. When buyers pull up and see a well-kept yard, they think it means the home is well-kept on the inside as well. 

In the summer months maintaing a garden can also help to boost curb appeal. If you have a pool make sure it is open and well maintained so buyers knwo that it is in working order. 

If you are selling your Ottawa home in the fall be sure to rake leaves as often as you can. Keeping leaves off the yard can be challenge depending on how many tress you have but can greatly boost your curb appeal. 

 3. Make Small Fixes Around The House

As buyers tour your home, if they spot a broken railing or leaky faucet, it gives them the impression that everything in the house hasn’t been cared for. That’s why it’s so important to take the time to repair any small projects you’ve been putting off.

Replace missing tiles, fix torn screens, touch up holes or cracks in walls. Replace cracked windowpanes and moldings. Replace lightswitch covering that are cracked or worn out. Making repairs won't cost a lot of money, yet they will have a huge impact on a buyer’s impression of your home.

4. Brighten Up!

A low-cost but effective way of showcasing your home is making it appear brighter. Buyers prefer bright cheerful homes to those that appear dark and cramped. Keep drapes and shades open to allow more natural light into the home. Awnings on decks should be retracted.

Replacing low wattage light bulbs with brighter ones and actually changing some fixtures out completely will open and brighten up a room instantly. You would be amazed how adding a lamp to a dark corner can open up and add space to the entire room. For a room by room lighting guide you can head here!

There are 3 basic forms of lighting:

Ambient: This is the light used to make the room easily maneuverable 

Accent: This is used to light up a particular area like a fireplace or a painting

Task: This is used to give appropriate light for accomplishing a task for example a desk lamp that allows you to do work. 

Make sure that you are making proper use of these types of lighting. 

 5. De-Clutter

The less you have, the larger your home will appear. Since getting buyers into the home is half the battle, make sure they don’t lose interest because your house is brimming over with stuff that could easily be placed in a closet or drawer. De-cluttering doesn’t mean getting rid of everything, but it definitely means organizing and removing most of your stuff.

Most rooms have too many pieces of furniture. Remove at least one piece to thin the room out and move furniture away from walls. Buyers should be able to freely move around the rooms, not bump into end tables and ottomans. Reduce the number of books in shelves, and remove vases, statues, or clocks from tables.

Don’t forget to de-personalize as well. Buyers like to envision themselves living in the home. This means taking down family photos and removing notes and postcards from the refrigerator.

If you need more advice on how to re-organize your home you can read our full blog here.

6. Clean Your Home Like You’ve Never Cleaned Before

Cleaning the house before it goes on the market is one of the most essential tasks you can do. We recommend you dedicate more than one afternoon to getting your home to sparkle. Set aside a few days to clean rooms from top to bottom.

The kitchen and bathrooms need to be immaculate. When was the last time you cleaned the windows in your house? Get the Windex out! This is a simple inexpensive way to bring more light into rooms and make even older windows look new again. Wash curtain sheers. Shampoo rugs. Make the beds. Dust shelves. Counters, sinks, tubs, and appliances should sparkle. Clean all switch plates. A bright, spotless house will make your home much more appealing to buyers.