Try and name something more stressful, aggravating, and nerve-wracking than putting your home up for sale.
It sounds exciting at first - the promise of moving somewhere new and changing your life.
But it just leads to one headache after another as you rush to get your home ready for the market. Finding a new home can be difficult but if you are looking for a home for sale Florida, this listing on eXp Realty can help you find your dream house.
Luckily, brokers have shared some of their best tips to boost a home's value with very little effort.
Try these five simple projects the next time you're ready to move.
1. Paint the front door
How much money can one can of paint make you? You might be surprised.
The real estate marketing site Zillow compared the paint colors, selling prices, and expected values of more than 135,000 homes.
Their study found that just painting a front door black or charcoal gray boosted a home's value by $6,271.
Neutral colors inside a home were worth a lot too. Light beige living rooms and light blue bathrooms both added about $3,000 to a home's value.
The site has a few colors to avoid at all costs as well.
A red kitchen takes an average of $2,300 off your value, and buyers consider yellow exteriors an eyesore.
When in doubt, give any bold colors in your home a neutral makeover.
2. Weed your lawn
Curb appeal pays. After all, this is a buyer's first impression of your home.
A survey by the home marketing website HomeGain found that just $500 invested in landscaping added four times as much to a home's value.
Agents say you should think of the outdoor areas of your home as "bonus space" specifically meant to attract buyers.
Nice flower beds, a neatly trimmed lawn, and a new mailbox speak volumes about your property.
There are so many cheap projects that will make your home look much nicer. Trim overhanging trees, buy new paving stones, or set out some stylish patio furniture.
If you have limited time (or energy) focus on the front walkway of your home. Buyers will spend the most time there.
3. Take good photos
These days everything is done online, but there are benefits and drawbacks to selling a home using the internet.
While more potential buyers will see your home, you're also competing with every other online listing in your area.
This is why it's crucial to stand out with impressive pictures.
Consider hiring a special photographer instead of relying on your realtor's go-to guy, and never settle for snapping pictures yourself.
Photography for Real Estate explains that one great photo of your home will draw in a lot of potential buyers. One bad photo could cause you months of anxiety and stress.
4. Clean up
Of course a musty, dusty home won't attract as much attention as a clean and tidy one.
But it's not as simple as that.
Cleaning is the one way you can improve your home at no cost, so you really need to take advantage of this benefit.
"The house whisperer" Bruce Irving says an ounce of elbow grease will pay you back many times over.
He says organizing your space is not enough. You should also "depersonalize" it so buyers can imagine themselves in your space.
Tuck away any family pictures and personal mementos while your home is on display.
Then, focus on small details that almost everyone notices: dust your surfaces, lower toilet seats, and straighten out storage spaces.
Consumer Reports says a tidy home earns up to 5% more than a messy one on average.
5. Renovate where it counts
It's true that buyers may be impressed by projects like solar panels or energy-saving windows, but these aren't the first things they check for.
The two key areas of your home are the kitchen and the bathrooms.
Any money you've set aside for renovations should be spent there first.
Once those rooms are in good condition, brokers recommend spending on maintenance before new projects.
Keep your pipes, furnace, septic system and water heater in good condition. These small jobs will put buyers at ease about the condition of your home.
6. Bury A Statue Of St. Joseph
Okay this one might sound a little weird, but there are hundreds of people who got help from the Divine when it came time to closing a deal.
Joseph is the patron saint of carpenters, and by extension homes and real estate. IT's said that burying him on the property will bless the owner with good fortune. Experts say the tradition began in the US around the 1970s, so I'd take it with a grain of salt.
If you are willing to try it just place a statue in the corner of your yard, or bury it in a pot if you have a condo.
Good luck to everyone out there trying to sell their home!
Here's more great advice about renovations and DIY home projects:
