Maximising Your Home Value with Affordable Upgrading Hacks

This year is one of those years where the demand for housing is more than the supply. Many existing homeowners who wish to sell their property will find this period the perfect time. Anyone with plans to sell their home will want to sell it at the highest possible value. You know how it goes, the more money, the better!

Some may feel that hiring a property agent will solve any issues, but little do they know that they have a part to play as well. For houses to sell well in the market, certain factors need to be in place. The aesthetics of the home has to be clean and spotless. Furnishings and other built-in items need to be well maintained and many more. It may be a concern for some to be spending a huge amount in preparing their property for sale, but here is some good news for you. You do not have to spend a fortune to increase your home value, and some steps will cost you nothing at all. Here are some money-saving ways for you to raise your home value and increase your chances of sales.

You can go to our other article of 10 tips to sell your home profitably and quickly.

Repaint the Walls

On the topic of increasing property value, why not consider repainting the walls? People will have the impression that a house is well looked after and in good condition with a fresh paint coat, making it look cleaner and new. Depending on the property market and the paint job’s cost, you could be expecting a return of investment of 50 to 500% (cost of paint job divided by additional profit).

Do try to keep to neutral tones to attract the mass market, increasing the potential buyers you have. A paint job done by a professional can also be considered to ensure consistency and quality. You do not have to paint over the whole house, as painting certain focal points such as the living room and kitchen will be sufficient. The cost for a paint job will vary for every home painting service provider, so look for one that works for you.

Remove Any Rust/Mold

Rust is another culprit that makes a house look worn-out. They can be found in many places such as doorknobs, hinges, pipes and so on. You can replace the whole hardware if you want, but there are many affordable ways to remove them without replacing the whole appliance. You can consider applying rust converters, which will cover rust and prevent corrosion.

Similar to a paint primer, it should be applied with a paintbrush. You can also soak them in white vinegar for a few hours before scrubbing off the rust and cleaning using a microfiber cloth. Making a paste with baking soda and water will do the trick as well. Just leave it on the metal to dry for a few hours and scrape the rust off. Leaving the metals in a lime and salt solution for a few hours might help as well.

Mold on the other hand, makes the place look either dirty or old. By using mold remover or a new rubber sealant, it gives a look of brand new. Psychologically, people are willing to pay more for something that to them is new!

Replace Outdated Cabinetry

Rust is pretty easy to remove, but there will come a time where certain cabinets or appliances will need to be replaced. Outdated cabinets may not be well-received by prospective buyers and may sometimes mismatch with the closet hardware. Consider changing the doorknobs into something newer and more timeless. This can be done by yourself if there is a hardware store near you (IKEA Anyone?). These items are typically inexpensive, which is a plus point for those who are on a budget!

You can also remove any unnecessary furniture like coffee table and/or study table to make the place more spacious. This is a very popular technique among realtors that we will highly recommend.

Spring Clean

It is essential to give your house a deep and thorough clean before putting it up for sale. Especially with the current pandemic, everyone is worried about environmental and personal hygiene. Before buyers come for a house viewing, ensure that the kitchen, flooring and bathrooms are thoroughly cleaned. Oxygen bleach is a great option to clean the dirt and filth off the grouts.

Using a baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice mixture can also help with grout cleaning. Leave the bleach or mixture on for 15 minutes before scrubbing the grout and rinsing it off thoroughly. If you have vinyl planks as floors, you can vacuum and mop the floor using some hot water mixed with white vinegar. Marble or granite countertops should be maintained by using polish or cleaner meant for those materials. Microfiber cloths can be used to remove the solution from the countertops and use a spray-on sealer after.

Change the Lights

Beautiful Living Room Design

The lighting in a home can impact a prospective buyer’s decision to purchase. Ensure that the house is well-lit to showcase the best features of the house. You can install new lightbulbs for the restrooms and kitchens. Try to avoid warm lighting as it can change one’s perspective of space. Electrical wiring and light switches are of the many considerations prospective buyers will look at during a viewing, so ensure that you use the right upgrade methods to increase the chances of a sale.

Tip: You may want to install spotlight on 1 or 2 art pieces if you have in your house.

Declutter Your Belongings

Throw Away unnecessary items

Storage is a very important aspect to any prospective buyer, especially with the small house sizes we have in Singapore. It is so much so that the lack of storage can even affect the value of a property. You should create the impression that your house has enough storage space, even when it does not. A cluttered house can be an eyesore for prospective buyers and make the house look a lot smaller than it is.

One of your best hacks will be to Marie Kondo your whole house. The best part is it is free! Discard whatever is not needed, and store the rest neatly in an assigned place. If you have a lot of belongings, you can also consider renting a self-storage facility for some items during viewing days, or consider storage upgrades.

TIP: Arrange viewings timeslot with you agent such that you do not hang your clothes out to dry during days of viewings. For example, you can inform your agent that viewing is ok on Thursday to Sunday so you can plan your laundry day on Sunday night and hang them out to dry on Monday and Tuesday.

Try Home Staging

Home staging is a hack used by many to quickly sell a property at its highest price potential. It is best to have prospective buyers see your home in the best condition, and staging can help appeal to them without an added financial burden. While it may be a little costly to try home staging, it redeems itself by getting a higher property value from potential buyers. These returns can be as much as 23% higher than the initial listing price, so staging is worth a shot.

Freshen Your Home

Fragrance for your Home

Lastly, make sure your house smells good! With our sense of smell being one of the more sensitive senses, most will notice the smell of a house the moment they enter. It would be a big deterrence if a prospective buyer smells something off during a house viewing. Some foul smells could be due to pets or mold hiding behind drywall, carpets or other high-moisture areas.

If you have a garbage disposal at home, you can pour a mixture of six ice cubes, three lemon slices and a teaspoon of bleach down the disposal unit. It helps to loosen food particles that are stuck when grinding. Run cold water for 30 seconds after to ensure everything has gone down.

During viewing, light up scented candles one hour to half an hour before viewing. Ensure you place air fresheners or fragrance diffusers in your bathrooms and living room to leave the house smelling good after many viewings.

Do play soft music best preferred in every room to trigger the sense of sound, and also to show off the smart home system of your house. It is also highly recommended to switch on the air-conditional unit to cool the place. If there are pets, it is also highly recommended to bring your pet out for a walk during the viewing time.

We want to trigger not only the sense of sight and also the sense of smell and audio to give an overall good feeling.