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The Best Home Projects for a Quick Sale

Selling a home takes a lot of time and effort, but if you want to make a good sale, it’s important to put in the work. Fortunately, there are several home projects that will help you find a buyer in no time, and these updates vary both in cost and in time to completion. Create a budget for your projects, keeping in mind the estimated return-on-investment, and think about which changes would make the most sense for a potential buyer. Here’s a brief guide to help you get started.

Add Fencing

One feature that will help attract families to your home is a sturdy wood fence. Not only does it look nice, but it will also draw buyers who have young children and pets, thereby increasing the value of your property at the same time. However, when you’re budgeting, make sure that you include the cost of installation; on average, homeowners spend approximately $2,753 to install wooden fencing, but this number will vary according to the size of the project and the cost of materials used. To give you a better idea of the total cost, lumber typically ranges from $7 to $15 per foot, and labor will be between $10 to $30 per foot.

Go Green

Green home updates range from landscaping changes that don’t require much water to smart appliances, so you have several options to choose from. Think about what makes the most sense in your area; do a little research to find out what homeowners in your neighborhood are doing. You might invest in some energy-efficient appliances that will help the new owners save money on their utility bills each month, or simply change out old light bulbs for LED lights, which last a long time and use less energy. Upgrading the hot water heater can be pricey, but you’ll more than likely be able to roll that cost into the total price of your sale.

Give Your Outdoor Spaces a Boost

Your outdoor spaces — backyard/patio and front lawn — should be attractive, but they can also be made more functional for a potential buyer. You don’t have to go overboard; in fact, it’s best if you don’t make too many big changes since you’ll never know what a buyer will want to do themselves. However, you can ensure the grass is nice and green and that there are no bald patches, that the shrubs are well-tended, and that any dead trees or bushes are removed. Boosting these areas can make a difference when it’s time to make a sale, so don’t forget to stage them a bit. Adding easy-to-remove hanging baskets of flowers to the front porch or some nice patio furniture around back can really add to your home’s appeal.

Update the Kitchen

The bathroom and kitchen are two rooms that always get attention during home viewings. Potential buyers want to know that they’ll have updated appliances and beautiful fixtures, but they aren’t always keen on doing it themselves. You can make simple changes, such as adding a more modern backsplash or upgrading the refrigerator, or you can go big and replace linoleum with tile or tear out the cabinets in exchange for open shelving. Depending on your project, you can add thousands of dollars worth of value to your home and ensure a quicker sale.

Making updates to your home takes some planning to ensure you make the right changes for the demand, so give yourself time to do some research. Talk to your real estate agent to get some feedback before you begin any project; they can point you in the right direction.