Selling your home doesn’t have to involve expensive renovations. While updating your kitchen and bathroom can add value to your property, there’s something to be said for saving the money and spending it on a renovation of the property you’re actually moving into — rather than the one you’re leaving behind.
Fortunately, there are plenty of small updates that can boost your home’s appeal without taking on a renovation.
9 ‘no reno-required’ ideas to boost your home’s appeal
1. Add a window box
You might have considered filling your home’s interiors with flowers, but have you thought about the exterior? One study from real estate marketplace Zillow found that having a window box (a container for flower, herbs or plants that sits under your window sill) saw homes receive 48% more saves and 52% more shares per day on the website compared to similar homes without them.
The benefit of a window box is that you don’t have to suddenly turn into an expert gardener before selling your house. It’s relatively easy to repot flowers from your local garden centre into a window box without much hassle.
If you don’t have the right space or structure for a window box, you might consider simply adding some flower pots to the area around your front door. The sight of flowers is a guaranteed way to start potential buyers off on the right foot and increase your street appeal.
2. Get out the paint
Painting is a low-cost way to add value to your home. Opting for one of Australia’s most popular paint colours will help your property win over a wide range of potential buyers and take your interiors from dated to contemporary.
If you don’t want to paint every room of the house, its a good idea to narrow down the places that will have the most impact. For example, changing the colour of your front door can completely transform the exterior of your home, while the bathrooms, kitchen and living areas are always good areas to think about a repaint.
3. Fix your floors
The state of your floors can have a big impact on how buyers gauge the quality and value of your home. Even if you’re not planning a complete floor renovation, it’s well worth getting your carpets professionally cleaned and your wooden floors refinished before opening your home up to buyers.
4. Rethink your curtains
The right curtains can make your home’s interiors feel larger and more luxurious. For a contemporary look, opt for soft cotton or linen curtains in neutral shades, such as white, grey or beige. When it comes to blinds, try to avoid the older vertical styles and opt for a more intentional style of roller or roman blind.
Another clever design trick is to make sure that you install the curtain rod just below the ceiling to make your windows look taller.
5. Update your storage
If your home isn’t blessed with ample built-in storage, you’re going to have to get creative with your storage solutions. For example, if you have been storing the kids’ toys in a plastic storage container, you might want opt for a vintage chest or stylish rattan basket (with a lid) during the home open week.
The same goes for your bathroom storage, where it’s better to swap out your open storage for baskets and boxes that don’t have your toiletries on display. Even pouring your shampoo and conditioner out of their plastic containers and into a couple of ceramic dispensers is going to bring a more luxury feel into your home.
6. Give your bathroom the luxury look
Bathrooms are associated with cleanliness, relaxation and self-care, and it will help your house appeal if you’re able to create an element of luxury in this space.
While you don’t need to take on a complete bathroom renovation, investing in a new shower curtain, soft bath mat and pair of fluffy towels will go a long way.
You might also like to add a vase of fresh flowers and a favourite scented candle to complete the look.
7. Look at lighting
It’s important not to underestimate the impact of the right lighting and light fixtures on the overall appeal of your home. Luckily, lighting is something that can be easily updated — and you don’t have to consult an electrician to do so.
Start by swapping any dated overhead light fixtures for more contemporary alternatives, and then think about adding wall sconces for anywhere that could benefit from more ambient lighting.
If your home open happens to fall on a gloomier day, an extra lamp or two can give your home a welcome warmth.
8. Add a fire pit
According to Zillow’s study, homes with a fire pit got 19% more saves and 23% more shares per day on the site. Fortunately, fire pits are relatively affordable and portable options are widely available, making them an easy way to increase the appeal of your home.
9. Remove your personal items
Removing your personal items, such as photographs, children’s artwork and other memorabilia, is important to help any potential buyers see themselves in the space.
This article originally appeared on Home Beautiful and is republished here with permission.
