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Small Details- Big Results

As a smart seller, you’ll want your home to be in the best state when it hits the market. You may think that you need that WOW factor to stand out. And while that is effective it might not always be budget friendly. Big home improvement projects can really eat into your profit and might not give you a good ROI (Return on Investment). Sometimes it is the smallest details can make the biggest difference. Smaller and less expensive projects in combination with good staging will get you a great return.

As a buyer is walking through your home, they are making a mental list of pros and cons, and especially projects. All those little things that you have learned to live with over the years will be the focus of scrutiny. And a buyer that sees 1 problem will be on the lookout for more problems.

A lot of these things can be fixed easily and relatively cheaply:

Water Stains on walls and ceiling: A water stain suggests that there is a hidden problem and will definitely make the buyer wary. First make sure that the problem is fixed, bring in a plumber to look for leaky pipes or water damage. You will need to replace any damaged drywall and then put a fresh coat of paint on.

Replace Outlets/ Switches: Everyone has outlets and switches that have been painted over in our homes, I personally have several. For whatever reason if paint is on the outlets/ switches or the plates surrounding them you should replace them. This is a project that a DIY’er could do or you could hire a handyman to take care of.

Torn Window Screens: We all have screens that are torn, snagged or have ugly spots. Maybe you have repaired it previously with a patch. But the screens are a very visible part of your home so this problem will tend to be noticed. This is a very simple DIY fix. You can purchase window screen frame repair kit from any home improvement store.

Gutters/ Soffits: If your soffits or gutters are in disrepair then it can cause bigger problems down the road. Make sure the soffits are in good shape with no wood damage and make sure the gutters are securely fastened and cleaned out.





Some other projects that you can DIY before putting your house on the market are:
  • Painting over nails
  • Repairing nail holes
  • Using the right sheen of paint when touching up
  • Make sure that the molding is installed correctly
  • Repair pet damage
  • Replace light bulbs
  • Power wash the exterior
  • Fix damaged fence
  • Fix cracks in driveway/ walkway
  • Update cabinet hardware
  • Spray soft surfaces/ curtains with deodorizer
  • Clean grout
  • De-grease oven hood


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