The Home Upgrade “Cheat Sheet” for Home Sellers

With the first signs of spring popping up everywhere, some of you might be gearing up to sell your home. Selling can certainly be stressful. I’ve experienced it firsthand  as both a home seller myself (x3 now), and as a home stager (a service I offered in my former business).

Unless you’re selling a relatively new home, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the home repair/upgrade “To Do” list that goes along with prepping your home for the market.

My first piece of advice?

Home stagers are invaluable for several reasons:

1)   They know which pre-selling home repairs/upgrades will achieve the greatest return on your investment, which helps you to prioritize the items on your “To Do” list;

2)  Oftentimes, they have a network of preferred vendors (painters, handymen, carpenters, etc.) that you can hire with confidence because of their proven track record of quality work delivered in a timely manner;

3)  They can save you money on upgrades by passing along their discounts (e.g., paint stores, flooring stores, etc.), and by sharing their “Cheat Sheet” for completing home upgrades very inexpensively.

(O.K., stepping down from my soapbox now).

Let’s take a look at some budget-friendly home upgrade projects that might be found on a typical home stager’s “Cheat Sheet”.

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HOME UPGRADE PROJECT #1 – TILE BACKSPLASH

Instead of hiring a tile guy or renting a wet saw to complete the project yourself, how about using peel and stick tiles?

Smart Tiles are made of a flexible gel material and can be added over existing tiles or onto painted walls.  No grout, no wet saw, no mess, no expertise needed…all you need is a couple of hours and a straight blade.

HOME UPGRADE PROJECT #2: COUNTERTOP TRANSFORMATION

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Got a 20-year old countertop that has seen its better days?  Instead of replacing it, why not transform it into a beautiful stainless steel surface?

Thomas Liquid Stainless Steel provides a brushed-stainless look that is as durable as an automotive-grade finish.  You apply it just as you would apply paint.  It can also be used to transform appliances, faucets, hardware, doorknobs, etc.  

This stuff is money in a can!

HOME UPGRADE PROJECT #3: STAINLESS APPLIANCES

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Sellers typically balk at the suggestion to purchase all new upgraded appliances for the home that they are about to leave. But it’s worth noting that stainless steel kitchen appliances are a very attractive feature to home buyers. 

What if I told you that it was possible to upgrade your basic model dishwasher and fridge to stainless steel for around $60?

This easy DIY upgrade is brought to you by EZFaux Steel Film.  Once again, the name of the game is easy installation.  You just peel off the backing and stick it on.  It’s scratch resistant, durable, heat resistant (up to certain temperatures), and it’s easy to clean.

HOME UPGRADE PROJECT #4: TEXTURED CEILINGS

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Depending on what part of the country you live in, popcorn ceiling texture may be a very prevalent problem or non-existent.  There are companies whose sole mission is to eradicate this home décor nightmare, one room at a time. 

If you don’t have thousands of dollars to devote to this home repair, may I suggest this alternative:

Avoid the entire messy popcorn removal process by simply covering it up with sheets of decorative paneling and decorative beams. Here’s a helpful tutorial that will walk you through all of the steps. You’ve now transformed a selling deterrent into a selling feature!

HOME UPGRADE PROJECT #5: CABINETRY

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Nothing dates a home like older kitchen/bathroom cabinetry.  If you have a kitchen that screams “1990’s”, you need to seriously consider bringing the cabinetry into the current decade. 

This does not mean that you need to purchase all new cabinets, or even spend money on refacing them.  Most of the time, simply painting them and adding new hardware does the trick. 

Once in a while, the design of the doors is so unattractive that paint alone is an insufficient fix. So what else can you do short of replacing them?

Follow the lead of the DIY Dynamos at The Lettered Cottage and add a few pieces of thin wood to create an on-trend shaker style cabinet.  Although this upgrade will take you a considerable amount of time to complete relative to the others in this post, you can bet your bottom dollar that it will be worth it when it comes time to sell.

Looking for even more helpful tips to spiff up your home before you put it on the market?  Check out these posts:

Got plans to sell your home?  I’ve created The Home Selling Tool Kit, a free resource for helping you sell your home fast and for top dollar. Click on the image below to learn more about it and to download the Tool Kit for yourself!