Summer is a seller’s market for Connecticut real estate, and everyone is clamoring to up their house’s market price on the cheap. Here are 5 ways you can make your Constitution State home worth more, for less:
1) Fix It Yourself. If your house has a crack on the wall, a stain on the ceiling or a few missing tiles in the bathroom – fix it! Whether the problem is structural or just cosmetic, any sort of flaw in your house will significantly lower the price people are willing to pay for it. You don’t need professional training to spackle a crack or replace a lost tile, and fixing these problems yourself will help you justify spending money on the repairs that really do require an expert hand.
2) Grab A Paint Brush. There’s never a better time to finally paint your living room that shade of red you’ve always wanted than when you’re trying to sell it. Dark hues will make a room seem cozy, pastel shades will make it look bigger than it really is and newly painted walls will make your home worth thousands of dollars more – even if you only spent a couple hundred on the paint. If you’re concerned about your taste and ability, any home and garden magazine will steer you in the right direction.
3) Plant a Tree. Everyone loves trees – or at least, everyone buying a house in Connecticut should. New England is known for its maples and oaks. Shop around at your local greenhouses for some local flora and stick those plants or trees somewhere tasteful in your yard. You could end up a thousand dollars richer for your efforts.
4) Make a Family Room. There’s at least one room in every house that can serve as a public space, and if you don’t have kids, that space is probably filled with your record collection right now. Clear out any cluttered rooms and put furniture in them so potential buyers can see how the space can be utilized by a family.
5) Clean Up Next Door. You might hate your sloppy neighbors and the blanket of leaves they call a lawn, and if you do, it’s a sure thing that potential buyers will too. A major concern most people have when buying a home is the quality of the neighborhood they’re moving into. If you’ve got messy neighbors, volunteer to clean up their yard for them. It might hurt your pride, but a clean street can go a long way in convincing someone a house is worth buying.
Remember, the key to milking your Connecticut house for all it’s worth is to do as much of the work yourself as you can. Even though it’s time consuming to fix up or redecorate on your own, if you put in the effort, you can ask thousands of dollars more for your home than you would be able to otherwise.
