In an ideal world where money and time are no object, you might be keen to renovate your entire home before listing it for sale. Instead, because this is not realistic for a lot of people, it makes sense to spend your money efficiently by focusing on the key areas that add value to a house. Some rooms have greater impact on a potential buyer than others. These rooms are:
Kitchen
If home is where the heart is, the kitchen is the soul of that home. Whether you are an aspiring gourmet chef or someone who burns toast, the kitchen is still an area that is used daily. While it is a highly functional area that requires working appliances, it can also be an emotional area. A place where your family gathers, conversations are shared, and people are nurtured through food. With this unique combination of being both purposeful and emotive, it is clear why it is such an important room when it comes to the sale of a home.
A newly renovated kitchen can add a lot of value to your house, with some experts saying it could add anywhere between 5-15% to the final sale amount. This will make a moderate renovation worth it, but if you don’t have the budget or the time to be undergoing renovations there are still things you can do to ensure your kitchen is a feature worth highlighting.
The main thing is to make sure it is clean. Ovens, stovetops, and range hoods need to be scrubbed clean of grease and food stains. Pantries and cupboards should be cleaned out and as clutter free as possible. Potential buyers will open doors to check out storage space and it can be a turn off if drawers are jam-packed with utensils and the pantry is overflowing with excess tins of food. Remove large appliances from the benchtops, except for one or two if they are a feature to the kitchen and help show how functional the space is.
Master Bathroom
Another important room for home buyers is the master bathroom. Like the kitchen, this room will be used every day so needs to be functional. If you are planning to do a full bathroom renovation, think about ways you can add value to the room. Including a bathtub is probably the most important thing, followed by making sure there is some storage space. A double sink and heated towel racks are nice additions if there is room for them. Again, if renovations are not within reason, there are other things you can do to improve the master bathroom and make sure it shines. Deep clean the tiles and grout to make them feel fresh. Simply replacing old taps and handles can make a big improvement to the overall look. Lastly, styling the space with matching towels and a nice candle or potted plant can give the space a warm vibe.
Living Room
The best part of preparing a living room for sale is that you should be able to get away with some simple staging rather than full renovations of this area.
The living room is another space in the home where family gathers. It has been rated as highly important to home buyers that this room is styled and presented well when they are inspecting a potential new home. When people are looking at a new house, they often think about what it would be like to entertain friends there, and the living room is one of the main areas where they would socialise. Because of this, it is a good idea to rearrange your furniture to a more social setting, rather than having the seating all facing the TV set.
Before listing your house, have the carpet steam cleaned and clear out excess furniture that might make the place look smaller or more cramped than what it is. Remove personal items from this room and replace with a stylish throw, some cushions, and a tasteful vase or two. If you have a family pet who frequents the living room, be sure to get rid of all fur and any lingering pet smells before open day.
Master Bedroom
Finally, we have the master bedroom. It is highly likely that the person purchasing the home will be the one who sleeps in the master bedroom, so it is an important area to showcase. Just like the living room, you can get away without needing to do major renovations to the master suite as long as it is clean and clear of clutter and personal items.
A good tip is to reduce the amount of clothes you have in the wardrobe before open house day. Potential buyers will open built-in or walk-in wardrobes, and they will find it off-putting if the clothes are too crammed in. Having just a small percentage of your clothes inside the wardrobe will highlight the functionality, without the risk of it looking like there is not enough storage space.
Make the bed look cosy and warm by adding extra throws and cushions. Purchasing a new quilt cover can be an inexpensive yet effective way of instantly brightening up a bedroom.
If you find yourself in a position where you need to choose which rooms to focus on before listing your house, go with the ones above for the biggest im