The Most-Asked Question The Stars Of Unsellable Houses Get About Selling A Home
When putting your home on the market, the list of things that need completing to attract buyers gets quite long, and the price tag beside each task makes that list feel even more dreadful. Knowing which jobs to focus on and prioritize, first and foremost, will make a huge difference. Twin sisters Lyndsay Lamb and Leslie Davis from HGTV's "Unsellable Houses" find the most asked question from sellers to be: what can they do to increase their home value for the lowest cost? Fortunately, the sister duo has the answer.
"I would say the things that go the furthest in improving a property are light fixtures, hardware, paint, and then, if you can afford it, flooring," Lamb told House Beautiful. "Those things will transform a home without having to move walls, remodel spaces, et cetera. Paint, hardware, lighting, and flooring can make a 90s outdated style look trendy." Adding a fresh coat of paint and revamping a home's flooring are two affordable projects sellers should prioritize. Furthermore, bringing in a professional cleaning crew is another thing the sisters swear by to get the most out of your sale.
Fresh paint and new flooring
Over time, the home areas that tend to see the most wear and tear are the walls and flooring. While at first glance, it may look like they are in good enough condition, you'd be surprised just how much all the little scuffs, chips, and cracks add up and tarnish a space. "Even a little paint goes a long way," the twins said in an interview with Austin Monthly. "You can totally transform the look of a room or a piece of furniture with a fresh new coat or color change. Painting walls inside your home truly makes such a huge difference to a space." Selecting neutral colors of white, grays, beiges, and, if you want more color, subtle tones of greens and blues will be vital to bringing in buyers.
"White and gray have been proven to have the highest return on investment when selling your home," Lamb wrote in her blog. "Why? Because everyone can see themselves living there." The sister's favorite go-to neutrals include Sherwin Williams' Spare White and Repurpose Gray and Benjamin Moore's Amazon Green. Alongside painting, rejuvenate your flooring. This could mean replacing carpet, refinishing hardwood floors, or laying down fresh luxury vinyl plank (LVP). Cost-wise, LVP is pretty affordable, averaging $2 to $5 per square foot. Laying new carpet will cost around $10 a yard plus 60 cents per square foot for the bottom padding, and refinishing hardwood floors will cost about $3 to $8 for each square footage.
Hire professional cleaners
Hiring professional cleaners will significantly benefit the sale of a house and work to increase value to buyers. There's a lot of dirt and grime that goes unnoticed in our homes until we take a closer look, and then, it can suddenly feel overwhelming to try and clean it efficiently. While it may seem easier to do it ourselves, people have different definitions of what clean means, and professionals take that into account. "You may be great at cleaning your home, but the added professional touch is indispensable," Matt Kearney, Lamb & Co. real estate agent, wrote on the Unsellable Houses blog. "Plus, they come into your home with a fresh set of eyes and might notice areas that require a little more attention, which will help create that clean, blank slate so buyers can easily envision themselves living there."
As important as the cleanliness of the inside of the house is, you also want to remember the outside. "First impressions matter, so make your home stand out as soon as buyers pull up to the curb," Lamb and Davis told Austin Monthly. "A fresh coat of paint on the front door, clearing out gutters, and filling areas with fresh greenery is a great start." These outdoor projects and repairs are essential errands sellers can focus on as professional cleaners are brought in, freeing up a lot of time for themselves. If nothing else, the time saved by hiring a cleaning crew will be worth the cost.