Sure, in today’s seller’s market, you could probably list your home as-is this weekend and have an offer on your desk by Monday. But a savvy seller knows that they can finagle a higher offer by making a few small but impactful home updates. The three updates we describe in this post are so easy they can be accomplished in one weekend, but they can make the difference between receiving an offer that meets asking price and receiving an offer that earns a profit.
#1 – Spend an Hour with a Staging Consultant
A professional home staging consultant can be akin to a miracle worker when it comes to elevating your home’s value. They have an eye for the small details and minimal-investment updates that can make a room look recently renovated. Desrochers Realty Group has a favorite staging consultant whom we recommend to all our clients. She’ll walk through your home and identify the potential improvements that can be made to every aspect, from furniture arrangements and décor to paint color and hardware updates. At the end, she’ll leave you with a list of tasks that you can spend the rest of the weekend working on.
#2 – Paint Your Walls
Paint can be polarizing. Some people prefer brightly colored walls, while others prefer the all-white minimalist look. Universally, buyers tend to have a hard time seeing past paint color, so the best solution is to go with a neutral tone that makes it easy for the buyer to impose their own vision on the room. A fresh coat of paint also makes the room look recently updated. White doesn’t photograph well, so we recommend going with a soft neutral like a grey or off-white. Our go-to paint color is Edgecomb Gray by Benjamin Moore. It’s elegant, subtle, looks great in photos, and compliments every style of décor.
#3 – Update Outdated Light Fixtures
Nothing dates a room faster than an outdated light fixture. Likewise, few things make a more impactful first impression than stylish lighting. If you have track lighting anywhere in your home, that should be the first thing to go. The new fixtures you choose are up to your personal taste and the style of your home décor. We implore our clients to stay away from polished brass—it looks very dated and will be a turn off to buyers. The safest bet is to choose a brushed chrome finish. It’s trendy and versatile. Try to select something with a little flair. A modern fixture can bring energy to an otherwise boring room. Updating your light fixtures is the perfect finishing touch to your weekend of home updates. It’s low-cost, DIY, and can really transform a room!
