Five Easy Ways to Boost Your Home’s Value by Spring

As the snow piles up around our ears, it’s easy to forget that spring will someday make another appearance.  Realtors predict this will be the first housing market in years that may have a chance of leaving home sellers feeling hopeful instead of feeling like they have been running head on into a piece of sheetrock.  Even if the market does take an up turn, it will still be a buyer’s market unless sellers take steps to increase their home’s value before the market picks up.  We have created a list of easy ways to boost your home’s asking price without the unwanted hassle of having to kidnap a reality TV makeover show star.

1. Embellish Your Entryway
If the front of your property isn’t appealing, no one will care enough to come inside to find out you have the finest Brazilian granite kitchen countertops that money can buy hand mined by the native Kayapo that you enjoy eating your McNuggets standing over.  Just outside your front door is an area where you can make the largest improvement for the smallest amount of cash.  Spackling any termite or bullet holes and touching up the paint around the entryway is an easy way to give the illusion of upkeep. It also helps to take down the Halloween decorations.

2. Groom that Greenery
Making sure that your lawn, bushes and flowers look kempt and well maintained can be an incentive to buyers as well.  Hire professional landscapers if you are able.  If not, see if you can entice that guy who’s always in front of the 7-11 and wears a wool cap and down vest all summer long to pitch in and help by promising him that you can convince the store’s corporate brass to rename the “Slurpee” after him.  Nab some of their classy silk roses by the register at the same time to add a burst of color to the garden.

3. A Fresh Coat of Paint
No one cares what your favorite color is. You probably already learned that in pre-school. They particularly don’t care to delve into your psyche to try and figure out why you painted your walls to look like something that Marilyn Manson threw up on.  Even if it’s only in the powder room.  Boring (translation: neutral) is always best.  Think about it -- boring = no conflicts.  Go for something that’s a very light white with a contrasting white.  Or, if your neighborhood is considered “ethnic,” go for a very light beige with a contrasting beige.  Also make sure the buyers are overwhelmed by new paint fumes (almost to the point of asphyxiation) as that can be almost as important as the color.

4. Show Energy Efficient Upgrades
While most homeowners believe that redoing a kitchen can be the greatest investment in adding value to their homes, sometimes something as simple as making energy efficient upgrades can entice buyers.  But what if you can’t afford to buy new appliances?  Well, don’t buy stolen goods even if you happen to know someone who knows someone who knows someone down at the shipping docks, because that only encourages crime!  You can always consider this easy upgrade:  spray paint all appliance faces silver to mimic stainless steel and engage in a little “Fun with Photoshop” to make your own Energy Star stickers.

10. Beautify the Bath
Mildew stains are the worst!  And hiring someone to seal away the potentially toxic mold in a fiberglass shell for all eternity may not always be an option.  Razor blades will remove stained caulk but are sharp and can be overly time consuming.  We find that if you have a blowtorch (perhaps initially bought for creating crème brulee that’s gathering dust in a drawer) it usually works best. You can easily rejuvenate a well-molded bathroom this way provided you have working smoke detectors.