We would like to share with you our 8 easy quick fixes that many homeowners can do ‘on their own’ to improve their properties appeal.
These are simple yet effective strategies, and trust me, although they seem trivial and small in comparison to say a kitchen or bathroom renovation, they add up to the overall perception you buyer has around whether they feel your home is well maintained or not.
Let’s get started on fixing some common trouble spots in your home.
Electrical Switches and Outlets
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FInd these at Home Depot -
Find These at Home Depot
As simple a thing as replacing your electrical outlets is (and trust us when we say this) it will bring with it an aesthetic appeal that says, we’re on top of things & we maintain the integrity of our home. It may also be perceived as your electrical as being up to date. Such a simple thing and looks so much more modern.
Remember; anything that your buyer not only has to see, but also has to touch has an impact. Flipping on a light switch means that they see it and have to handle it, so it carries with it a visual and physical response on how it is perceived. Home Depot and other building centers have a wide variety of Dimmable options, smart switches with touch technology and more.
Redo your Caulking Throughout your House.
It seriously does not matter how old or dated your counter is, if your caulking looks like this it will totally amplify the fact that your counter is old and dated. When you replace the caulking, it will at the very least look clean and maintained.
This goes for moldy caulking around your tub/shower areas too!! So important. The last thing you want, is for your potential buyer to say … gross’ when they step into your bathroom.
Touch Up Your Baseboards
This is a common thing we see in a property during our Home Ready Consultations.
Busy lives equal wear and tear and therefore damage is unavoidable. A simple paint touch up to your baseboards, and trim is a simple and cost effective way to improve the ‘well maintained’ aesthetic to your house.
How impressed would you be to walk into a house you are considering buying and their baseboards look fabulous!
Some tips for baseboards are;
- caulk along any seams
- fill any chiped areas
- replace any trim or shoe mold that is badly damaged
Clean, Paint or Replace your Bathroom Exhaust fans
We enter so many bathrooms during our consults and we can honestly say that it is few and far between where we see a clean exhaust fan. Fans get dirty.
This is as simple as unscrewing your cover, clean and/or replace it. If you have a fan such as the one above, and you want to give it a bit of a makeover, you can paint the cover for a simple aesthetic upgrade and so that it does not stand out like a sore thumb (be sure though that it matches your ceiling paint). Otherwise, replace it with something more modern and efficient. You may seek some help with this piece, but it is well worth it and it says a whole bunch about the hygiene of your space.
Caulk and Paint Around your Cracked Trim Throughout your House
You will notice that if you walk around your home, you may see areas where the trim meets the wall is cracked. When you do this simple fix, it will make your trim work look seamless and polished. It will really set that vibe of a well maintained home.
Before painting, purchase a paint grade caulking, and caulk the crack and then paint over it for best results! This is what our professional painters does each and every time he preps for painting. Our clients love this attention to detail.
Paint Touch ups and Upgrade your Door knobs and pulls.
While touring your home, you will notice that many of your cupboards or closet doors, look like this. Day to day use causes this mess. Sometimes this is as simple as a good washing, or paint touch up. Be careful however, when you do a paint touch up, that the new paint blends in well with the rest of the door. You don’t want to improve one thing and have an entirely new problem area.
Door Pulls often need a tightening too, so give them a wiggle; if they move, tighten them. I typically recommend that outdated door knobs, or pulls be replaced with an upgrade. It will surprise you how this simple change can lend a more modern look to an otherwise dated cabinet.
Remember to replace visible door hinges to match the door knob!
Replace or Paint Dated Door Handles
One of the simplest things you can do to give an old door handle a bit of an update is to paint it. I would probably go with a black glossy paint because black simply goes with everything. There are silver looking paints available, but I find you have to be careful with these because they can often look cheap and like a DIY.
Best suggestion though is to replace your door knob to something more modern. The lever style door knob is a much more modern aesthetic, and affordable too. This is a fairly simple task and will look great in the end. There are a wide variety of door knob options available, so choose one that fits in with the expectation of your property value – a cheap door knob will look cheap in a high end home.
Remember; if you replace your door handles, replace your hinges and strike plates too.
Replace your Light Bulbs!
If you are still using the old coil bulbs, I recommend that you replace them with a modern LED bulb. The coil bulb looks dated and can make a attractive fixture look less appealing. They have many versions to choose from including a soft white that is warm yet does not cast a yellow glow.
I cannot tell you how many properties I see where the light bulbs are different colours (some are even different colours in the same fixture). If you have multiple fixtures in proximity of one another, make sure they are the same colour and the same type of bulb.
We hope this article was helpful in getting some of your Quick Fix upgrades done so that your home will show optimum appeal to your potential buyers. When the little things are addressed, people are less apt to wonder about the bigger things.
Show your potential buyers you care about your house. Show them the value you have added to your property, and that this is a House that is not to be overlooked.
As always, helping you in caring for your Total Home!
Sincerely,
Cindy & Gilbert
