Before selling a Calgary home, the owner may wonder how he can sell it at a higher price without going beyond his budget. Perhaps his basic questions are: “How do I increase the value of my Calgary home ?” and "How can I do it inexpensively?"
Remodeling your house completely can cost several thousands of dollars. But the costly remodeling may only result in minute increases, such that a dollar spent can increase the home's value by 80 to 90 cents. An immediate drive to sell your home requires you to resort to cheap and simple improvements. Here are inexpensive ways to facelift your Calgary home for sale and increase its value:
Keep your Home Clean and Free from Clutter
1. Do some simple cleaning.
It pays off to do some elbow grease on your Calgary home for sale. A tidy home is more appealing to the Calgary realtor as he sets the listing price. It also helps when the appraiser sent by the bank is appraising your Calgary property for sale.
2. Free the Calgary home from clutter.
Get rid of the junk or clutter from your home for sale. Remove all unnecessary items, piles of paper and battered furniture from the viewer's sight. If undecided on disposing your stuff, you may throw them in a storage room until after home is sold. It is much better to present a somewhat bare home than one full of clutter.
3. Do a thorough cleaning.
When you have more time, make a deep cleaning on your Calgary home for sale. This time, devote more work on rarely-cleaned spots like heating vents, grout and baseboards. In addition to the usual routine of dusting and mopping, also do washing of windows & walls and steam cleaning of carpets. Also include your home's exterior by pressure-washing the siding, driveways and sidewalks. If time is not enough at your hands, you may avail of professional cleaning services.
4. Free your home from odor.
It is a common no-no in real estate to present a smelly home for sale. Realtors say, “If you can smell it, you can't sell it." It is best to sell a fresh home that's free from odor. However, some homeowners may not be able to detect the odor of their houses for being so used to it. Get a friend to confirm or deny the freshness of your home by testing the smell upon entering the doorway. When you have pets, shampoo thoroughly the furniture & carpets and wash all bedding.
It may also add to the freshness of your home's smell by lighting a candle or baking some delicious giveaway goodies. If candle is not available or time is not enough to bake, place a cookie sheet with drops of vanilla in the oven at 200 to 250°F. This will give a fresh smell of vanilla cookies.
Practical Do-it-yourself Tips
1. Tidy up the yard.
Remove all wastes and trash from your yard. Mow your lawn, get rid of weeds and trim the hedges. Mulch the flower beds and given enough time, plant some flowers and grow small shrubs.
2. Invest in fresh coat of interior paint.
- Brighten up your Calgary home for sale by painting the interior walls. Patch up holes first, then apply a coat of primer for a silky smooth surface. Lightly sand the surface with fine grit sandpaper after the primer dries, wiping with damp cloth after each sanding. Finally, apply the coat of latex paint.
- Go for beige or off-white walls with white baseboards and white ceilings. These colors make the home appear larger, giving more light into the room.
- Choose appropriate finish to the home for sale. Walls with imperfections, like cracks in the plaster or drywall dents, are treated with eggshell finish paint. This low-luster finish can be washed lightly.
- To give your rooms the “luxury” look, upgrade to level 5 finish the interior walls. Lightly score the wall surface with 60 grit sandpaper. Apply 2 coats of joint treatment, and on the second coating, lightly sand with 220 grit sandpaper. This makes a level 5 finish on every textured wall.
3. Put up new blinds and curtains.
Invest in fresh curtains and blinds to make your Calgary home more presentable. These are relatively inexpensive but will create real positive impact. Curtains and blinds get worn and faded from exposure to the sun, so changing them to new ones can give a great impression.
4. Upgrade with modern outlet covers and light switches.
Install modern switches by using existing wires connected to old switches. Before doing this, make sure to turn off power in the house or particular room. Also, by installing new outlets, electrical wiring will appear to be newer than it actually is.
5. Increase the wattage.
Brighten up your home by swapping out light bulbs in living or dining rooms for those with higher wattage. But be sure not to exceed maximum limits for lights and lamps.
6. Recheck the actual area of your home.
The square footage of your house may be actually greater than what the assessor has recorded. A small correction to increase square footage means a significant increase in price - a square foot of your home is equivalent to hundreds of dollars. With a tape measure, you can get measurements by yourself. Measure around the entire house and use a square of graph paper per foot. Divide into smaller triangles and rectangles the entire perimeter, then measure the area of every piece. Get the square footage of your home by adding up all areas. You may also hire a professional appraiser.
7. Add wood cornice and trim for an impressive home.
Adding simple armchair railing and ceiling trim will make a great presentation of your home for sale. It is also more impressive to paint the walls with flat, neutral color and the ceiling trim with high gloss white.
Posted by Ross PAVL on
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