8 Home Renovations to Make Before Listing Your Home to Sell

The real estate market kicks into high gear in the summer months as people look to buy or sell their homes while the weather is nice and school is out. For the past several months, you have probably been staying home to flatten the curve of coronavirus spread, which may have caused you to focus on home repairs, improvements or renovations you’d like to make before selling. Renovating your home before listing it for sale has many benefits, including increasing your property value and getting ahead of issues that may be identified in a home inspection.

Using a self-storage unit helps you clear out space to protect your furniture and belongings while rupgrading your home and preparing it for sale. After renovations are completed, you may consider keeping certain pieces of furniture and belongings in storage throughout the home staging process to make your home appear more spacious and attractive to potential buyers.

Which Renovations Make the Biggest Difference When You’re Selling Your Home

Before listing your home for sale, you may be scrambling to figure out what is worth the cost to remodel or renovate. Whether your goal is to increase the value of your home for a higher asking price or you simply want to fix normal wear and tear, knowing what to prioritize will help your decision-making process.

1. Make Necessary Repairs and Deep Clean Your Home — Before diving into an entire kitchen remodel, prioritize obvious repairs. Have a dent in your wall from where the doorknob hits? Have water-stained ceilings from an upstairs bathroom leak? These are the types of necessary repairs should be completed first. Also, don’t underestimate the benefits of a professional deep cleaning, especially in the time of coronavirus.
2. New Paint Can Transform a Home — One of the most effective renovations you can make to your home is adding a fresh coat of paint. Painting the entire interior of your home in a neutral shade freshens the look and adds a sense of light and space. Appeal to more buyers by removing accent walls or dark colors. This is one of the least expensive upgrades you can make and, by doing it yourself, you may save hundreds of dollars. Remember to include ceilings!
3. Update Flooring — Refinishing, replacing or upgrading your flooring can make a big impact on the value of your home. If you have old, stained hardwood floors, resand and polish them to make them more attractive. Replacing worn carpeting or installing vinyl flooring are affordable options for updating the flooring and impressing buyers. Adding hardwood floors is one of the more expensive options.
4. Declutter Your Home to Attract Buyers — Clean out your closets and other storage areas and decrease the amount of furniture, knick-knacks and items taking up space in your home. Don’t hide unused or unwanted items in the garage, as buyers will see them. Renting a storage unit from Security Public Storage can provide a safe, secure way for you to declutter your home, while making it easier for potential buyers to picture themselves living in your home.
5. Increase Curb Appeal with Landscaping — The exterior of your home is usually the first impression a potential buyer gets, so it sets the tone for the buying process. Low-maintenance, high curb-appeal upgrades and attractive landscaping may also help close the deal. Remove high maintenance trees or plants, clear out weeds, trim bushes, mulch flower beds and fertilize your yard. Edging sidewalks and driveways also makes your property more attractive to potential buyers. Avoid adding large flower beds or gardens that will require work and can turn off potential buyers.
6. Replace Your Old Garage Door — Buyers typically don’t put a high value on garage conversions; however, replacing your old garage door may provide one of the highest returns among common home upgrades.
7. Make Low-Cost Kitchen Upgrades — Kitchens sell homes, but you don’t have to undertake a total renovation to update yours. Instead, buy new cabinet drawer pulls, reface old cabinets to a more modern white, and install contemporary lighting fixtures to make your kitchen more attractive to potential buyers. While granite or quartz countertops may be more attractive than what you currently have, a more affordable option may be to add clean, white ceramic backsplashes for a clean look and enhanced visual appeal.
8. Test and/or Install New Smoke Detectors — In many states, a home cannot be sold without an approved smoke detector. Other states also require carbon monoxide detectors. Before listing your home, test replace or install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.

Redecorate Now, Deal with the Stuff Later

Whether remodeling, renovating or redecorating your home to prepare it for sale, renting a storage unit can be a bigger problem solver and can help you get your home on the market much more qucikly. You may want to order new furnishings, fixtures and decor online and shift your old items to a storage unit for safekeeping while you prep your home for sale. Removing clutter from your home before staging it for sale will make it easier for buyers to envision themselves living in your home. If you are eager to get your home on the market so you can take advantage of the current spike in home sales, self-storage may be the ideal solution.

SPS offers storage units in a variety of sizes to meet your home renovation storage needs. Find a location near you while you declutter and transform your home as you prepare to sell.