Since joining HomeTalk, I have been asked several times...

Terry Haas
by Terry Haas

"What are ways to add value to your home?"
So I thought I would share my feedback just in case it would be helpful to anyone else.
Here are some of my top ideas:
1. Curb appeal--you have 7-10 sec. to make a first impression-make it count. Lots of color in lanscaping--no yard ornaments
2. Hit the senses--smells good, looks good, sounds good
3. De-clutter as much as you can. You are moving--pack it up and get it out.
Did you know that the kitchen, master bath and storage can be your biggest money makers?
Hope it helps...looking forward to more questions
Terry
  9 answers
  • JL Spring & Associates JL Spring & Associates on Jun 21, 2011
    Exactly Terry. A good pressure wash helps a lot too! Nothing like a showing of "Pride in Ownership" to help sell a home. If it looks well maintained from the front, the impression will transfer to the interior. (A little tip: when I see the new shiny brass kickplate added to the front door, I think "investors rehabbed this!") Fancy trim and embellishments distract from masked imperfections lots of the time. I like kickplates, I just like the brushed aluminum or stainless blends. less showy and has a subtle nuance of a lived in, maintained look...match to exterior carraige light, doorbell shroud and a nice welcome mat..."come right in..." Best to you...JL
  • Adding value to the home can be a tricky thing. A lot of value is in the eye of the beholder. Or in this case the future buyer. If one was to sell their home creating additional value could be as simple as a good paint job. While this may not increase the value on the cost end of the house, the value would be better prospect to sell thus this type of project creates worth because the house sells faster. JL Spring nailed this with his post. Another way of adding value would be to do a renovation project which would create added value on the selling price. An example of this would be to renovate a dated kitchen , bath or another principle room of the house. However it is much harder to increase the value all of the time in this manner as market conditions, time and personal tastes can increase or decrease what the owner is looking to get out of this type of project. Home flippers understand this very well. They know by doing simple improvements they will get more value in cash at the sale both because they improved the property doing simple improvements and they had low holding costs because the house moved fast. I do agree with you Terry on this. Get the stuff out and remove as much personal items as you can. People do not want to see your family party photos. They need to see their belongings in the home.
  • James A James A on Jun 22, 2011
    Nothing turns me off more than a cluttered lawn and around the outside of the home. It makes me wondered how well they have maintained the inside and major systems.
  • Terry Haas Terry Haas on Jun 22, 2011
    Yes, value/beauty can be viewed in the eye of the beholder but...buyers will pay more and prices can be increased by added features, space, and certain finishes. I am including a link/videos to a resource that I frequently use to show homeowners examples of "value adders", depending on the budget. http://www.hgtv.com/real-estate/20-ways-to-add-value-to-your-home/pictures/index.html Enjoy!
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jun 22, 2011
    Curb appeal is so true...I recently completed a ton of work on a house that was going up for sale I tried to convince the owner to do a bit more but he was very reluctant..on spending the money...He finally agreed to have me do some deck repairs...I told him he needed more ...but well see how it pans out...
  • SawHorse Design Build SawHorse Design Build on Jun 22, 2011
    1. Curb Appeal. 2. Go Green- In GA green certified homes sell faster and for closer to their asking price.
  • Terry Haas Terry Haas on Jun 23, 2011
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQkbi94Oc5c&feature=share Have you gotten your copy yet? Any of the Hometalk friends...$5.00 off Just type the code Hometalk
  • Nice, but you do not tell people how to get it. What is the link?
  • Terry Haas Terry Haas on Jun 23, 2011
    www.makeeverybuyerwantyourhouse.com Sorry guys, I thoght the link came thru for the book as well. Thankf for keeping me on track