Cost Effective Ways to Fix Up Your Home Before Selling

The housing market has been on an upward slope for years now. As a result, prices have continued to rise -- and they’re not showing any signs of stopping. 

If you’re ready to take the plunge and sell your house, but realise that it’s worth more than what you can afford, you might be thinking about doing some home improvement instead of spending all your money on real estate agent fees and repairs. 

Luckily, there are a lot of inexpensive ways to make your home look like new without spending a ton of money. Here are 10 cheap DIY projects that will give your home the much-needed facelift without costing too much or requiring a professional contractor.

Paint your walls a vibrant colour

Ever look around your house, see how drab everything looks in comparison to all the colourful things in your neighbourhood? That’s because your walls look exactly how they did when you moved in. You can decorate your walls with a colour that makes them pop. 

Rather than spending a ton of money on high-end painters’, you can simply find a low-cost, off-the-shelf paint that looks great. Alternatively, you can pick up some colour pencils and get creative with painting. Nothing is more frustrating than walking around your house, staring at one wall, and seeing what you already have. 

If you have kids, they’re bound to ask why the walls are so boring. Pick a wall and repaint it bright and fun, so that when they walk into the room, their eyes light up with excitement.

Have your garden spruced up

According to real estate experts, one of the best ways to spruce up your home is to have your lawn and garden spruced up. Investing in new plants, grass, and flowers will completely refresh your house and make it look even better. 

There are a number of places where you can get beautiful, inexpensive plants, flowers, and grass. Many grocery stores, garden centres, and even big-box stores sell them. If your community has a park, the city may also have low-cost plantings. 

You can also repaint your house to give it a fresh, new look, and have your lawn and garden changed up, too.

Add a rug or paint your floors

If you spend most of your time in the living room, you know how great it feels when you walk across a newly-paint floor, or walk on a plush rug. There are a number of inexpensive ways to add a rug to your home and make it look brand new. 

You can simply buy a cheap, off-the-shelf rug and cut it up to fit your room. Alternatively, you can add a pattern to some old, homemade rugs. You can also try painting your floors instead of buying a rug. If you don’t want to paint the entire floor, you can simply use wood or laminate floors, and paint the walls in a colour that complements the floor.

Install energy efficient lighting

When was the last time you looked around your home, and noticed that all the lights are on dimmer mode? That’s because you’re not actively looking at them. Energy efficient lights are a great place to start when it comes to home improvement, especially if you are planning to sell. 

For a cheap, easy way to make your home look great, make sure your lights are on dimmer mode and energy efficient.

Repaint your exterior

If you’ve noticed that your exterior paint is starting to fade, and the colour is dull and old, you can have your exterior painted with a fresh coat. Repainting your exterior is a cheap, easy way to add a boost to your home’s curb appeal. 

Rather than repainting your entire house, you can simply repaint the trim around your windows, door, and roof. If you have a shingled roof, you can also repaint your roof in the same colour as your house. This is one of the best ways to fix up your house without breaking the bank.

Install solar panels

If you’re looking to reduce your monthly utility costs, and make your home more environmentally friendly, you can install solar panels. Many states offer tax credits and rebates to those who invest in solar panels, making them an affordable way to reduce your energy costs. 

If you’re not interested in switching to solar energy, you can still use energy efficient bulbs and appliances, and have your home retrofitted with solar panels.

Confirm you’re getting the most bang for your buck with an appraisal

Your realtor will tell you exactly how much your house is worth, but how accurate is that figure? You know how much things cost in your area, but do you really know how much it’s worth? 

An appraisal is a great way to find out for sure how much your house is worth, and what you can expect to get for it. While you can get an appraisal from a realtor or from a third party, you can also do it yourself by hiring a professional or hiring a contractor to do the work.

There’s a fair bit of cost in selling and buying. Real estate agent fees, conveyancing lawyers, taxes and the rest. Getting the maximum price for your current home should be the priority.

Conclusion

Home improvement projects can be expensive and time consuming, but they don’t have to be. With a little preparation and creativity, you can turn your home into a much-needed makeover, without breaking the bank. 

From painting walls a new colour to installing energy efficient light fixtures and solar panels, there are many inexpensive ways to spruce up your home before you list it for sale.