Home Improvements That Fall Short In Selling Homes

In this installment on home improvements we will look deeper into improvements that homeowners make that add no value to their home. If a homeowner is thinking of selling in the next two to five years they should relay evaluate the reasoning for the following home improvements as they do not add any value to the equity of the home.

Homeowners want to believe by installing an in-ground pool they are increasing the value of their property. An in-ground pool is a pricy endeavor. You have to pay for the pool to be created, a safety fence installed and the maintenance to upkeep the pool throughout the season. Not to mention opening and closing the pool each year. Stay away from installing a pool if you can avoid it. A pool limits the marketability of your home. Think about it, most people with young children are fearful of pools for the fact that drowning is a top accident among young children. Seniors are really interested in the upkeep of a pool leaving your home to be marketed to families with pre-teens and teens. The money you put into the pool will never be recouped in the sale of your home. This improvement will always be at a loss to the homeowner.

Homes without a garage or a small garage your home is at a disadvantage when it comes to its sale. If you live in a condo or retirement home you can sometimes get away without a garage but a home in a neighborhood without at least a two car garage your home is far less appealing to sellers than one with a garage.

If the floor plan in your home has little rhyme or reason, it will be more difficult to sell your home. Large, open floor plans have an appeal to buyers. Home with small bathrooms and bedrooms along with a floor plan that requires you to access bedrooms or bathrooms through another room really detract most buyers. The flow of the home should be one that makes sense. The kitchen should connect to the dining room and if possible a laundry room should be off of this area as well. Living rooms should share a space with dens and studies. Bedrooms should have access to bathrooms and avoid being in the space near the living room, kitchen area or dining room.

Another major eye sore are homes that are overly personalized. Buyers are looking to see themselves and their belongings in the space. All realtors will ask sellers to remove the personal touches within their homes to increase the marketability of the home. If you love bright colors by all means paint and enjoy bright décor knowing that when it comes time to sell you will be investing in neutral paint and décor to stage your home.

Maintenance is another turn off to home buyers. It is important that your home is well maintained. The last thing that is appealing to home buyers is requiring a lot of work to be done before the home is livable. Keep up on your home. Fix light fixtures, maintain cleanliness and do general upkeep as needed. Keep your home fresh, updated and clean when you list it. A home that looks to be taken care of is far more attractive to buyers than a home that requires a tin of work just to move in. Plus it gives buyers the impression that they will run into issues as they go because of poor upkeep and a lack of maintenance.

All home improvements that are done to your home should be thoroughly considered before they are done. If you love color, by all means paint but do so knowing that is money that is wasted as you will need to repaint to attract most buyers and to get top dollar for your home. If you can't live without a pool, install one. Be prepared however when going to market the home for sale that it is not necessarily a feature that home buyers will be thrilled about. They are purchasing a home that requires early maintenance throughout the summer. This is not appealing to all home buyers and could possibly be seen as a burden. This would decrease the appeal and therefore some buyers would actually offer a price far less than asking as they will either want to fill in the area of need to plan for the extra expense of maintenance.

Lady of the Lakes Real Estate is Livingston County's premiere realtor; out of Pinckney, Michigan helping buyers buy and sellers sell homes that provide a recreational lifestyle including golf courses, lakes and the Huron river chain of lakes, throughout Brighton, Howell, Pinckney and the surrounding area. Find out more at http://www.ladyofthelakes.com.

Home Improvements That Sell Homes

There are always a ton of must haves and wants on the list of home buyers.  For real estate agents the tricky part is finding what a buyer wants within their allotted budget.  It is important for both sellers and buyers to recognize what is important in regards to home improvements in the market.  Sellers want to make their homes as appealing as possible to the needs of buyers in order to move their homes from the market quickly.  In the next two installments on home improvements we will discuss the home improvements that bring homeowners a return on investment and those that fall short.

One home improvement that is always a hit with buyers and sellers is a well equipped master suite.   It is important that at the end of the day we come home to an environment that is equipped just for us.  Nothing does this better then a master suite that offers everything one needs for solitude and relaxation.  The most wanted features in the master suite include a luxurious spa tub, walk in shower, lounging area and a full walk in closet.

The use of natural materials in home improvement is also a draw for new homebuyers.  People enjoy natural materials used in ceramic tile, hardwood flooring and granite countertops.  For flooring it is best to forgo using linoleum and look towards ceramic tiles.  If instead of hardwood you choose carpet flooring it is best to choose a carpet that is neutral and of the highest quality.  It is best to combine natural flooring with carpet to avoid the wall to wall feeling of fabric.  Natural materials in the kitchen, bath and flooring tend to be huge requests when buyers are looking for a home.

Landscape, exterior care and the aesthetics of the area all make curb appeal another top priority for new home purchasers.  Local realtors stress to sellers that the exterior must appeal to the eye to attract a buyer.  If the outside is un-kept buyers are likely to suspect the same level of care on the interior of the home. No matter what season you are looking to sell your home in it is wise to invest in the exterior appeal.  Make sure that the siding is kept clean and free of imperfections.  Take time to spruce of the homes landscaping.  In the fall trim bushes and clear leaves, in the winter clear sidewalks and keep patios clear and in the spring and summer keep the lawn in the best shape possible enhancing the green of the grass and adding mulch to improve the coloring of landscape plants.

Another improvement that is a huge hit amongst home buyers is the addition of new, top quality windows.  It is amazing how much this improvement can boost the price you can ask for your home.  Windows are expensive but it is one of the most likely home improvements to bring homeowners a high return on investment. 

In our next installment on home improvements we will discuss the home improvements that bring homeowners that don’t offer a return on investment and should be avoided on homes that are about to be placed on the market for sale.   The improvements we will discuss are those that should only be done to improve the quality of life for the current homeowner and should not be viewed as an increase to the homes overall value or mass appeal.

Lady of the Lakes Real Estate is Livingston County's premiere realtor; out of Pinckney, Michigan helping buyers buy and sellers sell homes that provide a recreational lifestyle including golf courses, lakes and the Huron river chain of lakes, throughout Brighton, Howell, Pinckney and the surrounding area. Find out more at http://www.ladyofthelakes.com.