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4 Small Home Renovations With Big ROI Impacts


You can make many renovations to your home to boost your ROI and home’s overall home value — both big and small. But not all renovations have to be on a large scale to make a big difference in your home. Many upgrades that can noticeably boost your ROI and home value are smaller renovations. Whether you want to do them yourself or hire a professional, numerous small home renovations can significantly impact your ROI. Keep reading to learn which ones you should try out in your own home.

Don’t look past the walls

One of your home's most accessible and overlooked upgrades has to do with the walls. Make your home look new and fresh by adding a fresh coat of paint!

Work cohesively with your floors and furniture — don’t just think about what you think would look best in the space or what color you like the most personally. When painting your walls, classic colors are the less risky choice. Sticking to something that won’t alienate a potential buyer should be your number one priority. On top of that, picking a paint color that accentuates furniture choices and the color of the floor makes a long-lasting impact on how your home looks.

While it seems like an insignificant upgrade, repainting your walls packs a punch. It leaves your home feeling (and smelling) brand new and can also be an easy, DIY job. However, if you prefer to have your home professionally painted, your realtor can recommend an excellent service to tackle the job for you.

Carpet versus hardwood

Carpets have gone out of style, and overall, they aren’t something that most buyers are looking for in a new home. Hardwood floors are more popular for many reasons, the top two being cleanliness and style. Hardwood floors simply look better, make a house feel like a home, and are more stylish than carpeting.
 

Carpeted floors are also more likely to have more grime and dirt than a hardwood floors. Carpets take more effort to clean — they often need to be professionally cleaned to avoid permanent stains. They also hold and carry more allergens than hardwood. Hardwood floors are relatively easy to clean — most people only need a simple vacuum, a Swiffer, or a mop. Carpets need to be vacuumed consistently, and stains are almost impossible to remove. It is much simpler, and there are more overall benefits when switching from carpet to hardwood, especially for those looking to boost their home value. Hardwood floors are simply more popular among buyers.

Don’t be afraid to add a pop of color by adding a circular rug — something that will look cohesive with the furniture and the walls — to make the room stand out.

Update outdated fixtures and hardware

Swapping out older hardware and fixtures and upgrading to something new and stylish can go a long way. Focus on the kitchen and bathroom — these two rooms are widely considered the most essential when adding modern upgrades.

Minor fixes like updating your countertops and cabinets to a more cohesive style or color or switching from yellow incandescent lights to LED lights are easy ways to drive up the value of your home. Choose something as simple as upgrading your cabinet handles to a sleek look that matches your countertops. Consider switching your outdated doorknobs for a modern look as well.

Your bathroom is a goldmine for minor renovations that can boost your ROI. Analyze all of the features and fixtures in your bathroom and make changes based on current, classic styles. You can upgrade your faucets, fix your cabinets, throw on a fresh coat of paint. Similar to your kitchen, enhance your bathroom countertops. Add new features if you have the space, like a towel rack. If you have the budget, changing your showerhead from a generic head to something with more pressure will boost your ROI without a significant renovation. If you can afford to do so, perhaps invest in a minor renovation so that your bathroom can have a double sink instead of a single.
 

These may seem like minor fixes, but they make all the difference. Fixing outdated cabinetry or restyling your kitchen’s countertops to fit in with the current trends will go a long way when listing your home. If you’d like inspiration, research listings in similar styles to your property and see how others have styled and remodeled their space.

Don’t forget the exterior

While you can make major renovations to increase curb appeal (i.e., completely renovating your porch), you can also make smaller adjustments to create an appealing exterior for potential buyers.

First impressions are critical, especially when it comes to a home sale. They can make or break a deal since the outside of your house is the first thing a buyer will notice when seeing your home in person for the first time. You don’t want overgrown grass or wilted flowers scattered haphazardly throughout your yard. Spend a bit of time landscaping, ensuring your grass is green and flowers are nourished. Make sure to get rid of any weeds or vines that you don’t want buyers to see.

Renovating or building an entire porch would be considered a massive remodel. Smaller projects, like covering up dents in the foundation or changing out your patio furniture, can do much more than you think. If a potential buyer requests to have the porch fixed, then make that move; otherwise, sprucing problem areas should be enough.

Don’t forget the garage door. If the paint is chipped, repaint it. Change the lock or handle if it looks rusted and old. Make sure there are no dents in the garage door, and if it’s in your budget, perhaps replace the entire door.

Spruce up your front door, too. Whether that calls for a fresh paint job, replacing the door entirely, or swapping the handle, your door makes a difference. If you want to keep up to date with the popular styles, much like updating your indoor fixtures and features, you can scope homes similar to yours and see the current trend for front doors. Above all, make it look welcoming!

Want to know more about Redwood City real estate?

If you are interested in homes for sale in Redwood City or Cupertino, contact Morgan Cook for more information! An expert in Bay Area real estate, Morgan will help you will all of your real estate needs — contact him today to start your next buying or selling adventure!



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His passion is value creation – unlocking a home’s potential to help sellers maximize their sales price and return on investment and to help buyers identify untapped value.
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