Need to update condo on budget to resell -- advice/opinions?

Consider painting the counter tops with Rustoleum or Giani countertop restoration kits.Look for closeout flooring.Give the rooms a fresh coat of paint.

Get estimates on each of your projects. Consider offering a 'credit' for the buyer to make their own selections. It is also helpful then to have some samples on display.

A fresh coat of paint (neutral color) will be your best and least expensive way to brighten and freshen up the entire condo. As for flooring, check to see if under that nasty carpet, you may have hardwood flooring, if so, expose it and freshen with a light sanding and poly finish.

As for the counter tops, sometimes it is best to put in an allowance for the new owner to choose. Depending on the amount of counters, just let's say $3,000 allowance for new owner to make whatever choices they want. You can adjust your price accordingly.

Vinyl plank floors can be easily installed . They're affordable , durable , waterproof and look just like wood .

give all the rooms a fresh coat of paint in a very light colour.. there are countertop refinishing kits available from Rustoleum or Giani (lowes and home depot carry them).. as for the floors.. clean them and polish them.. replacing floors is just SO expensive

Cost it out - see what it would cost to update your condo (including the time involved) vs putting it up for sale as it is. If it would take you two months to update it, you have to figure your monthly payment in as a cost.

I myself, would rather buy a "fix-up" and put in exactly what I want rather than have some one put in an expensive counter top that I dislike.

Have everything clean, maybe fresh off white paint, inexpensive new carpeting (with pad) or a neutral laminate flooring along with everything working properly may be enough.

i would focus on neutral wall paint, super clean & spotless, totally decluttered, and then staged well (consider using a pro- it isnt thay expensive!) & list with an allowance for flooring and counters.

update the look by changing light fixtures. Easy to do and not too expensive.

I've updated a few houses with Habitat for Humanity ReStore,they sale donated items cheaper than a store (most of the time). Know the prices of items your looking for so you know you're getting a good deal. For flooring you could do the brown paper bag flooring. Keep in mind you could also cut the brown paper into strips to make it look like hard wood flooring ;). Add some stain and your in there like swim wear. Here is a short clip about the flooring: https://youtu.be/2qwvIkCzm2Q Happy remolding,on the cheap :)

Thank you all. I will think about all of these options.

Clean, clean, clean. DIRT SMELLS BAD! DECLUTTER! Get rid of excess furniture. Take down your collection of family photos (they convey that this house is your family's place and not some one elses.) Pack and store collections, especially collections that are not popular now, ex. spoon, bell and thimble collections. Get rid of excess stuff in closets so that you are not conveying the message that the house is short on storage. Price the house well and it will sell. There are a lot of people who cannot see the house updated so forget about them. Focus on the great features of your property (lots of closets, great kitchen storage, clean basement, mature landscaping, newer roof, hardwood floors, entry guest closet, lovely patio, great deck, newer furnace, lots of light from large windows, french/sliding door to patio/deck, garage, trees, arbor, etc.) Keep the landscaping manicured. There are still buyers out there who want to put their stamp on a property and they do not want the seller to choose the paint colors, flooring and counter-top. In selling houses I find people who critical of everything and many comments do not agree. What good buyers hate is dirt, mold, neglected necessary maintenance. No one wants to spend money on an inspection report for a house that 'looked nice' but has termites, leaks in the crawl space, etc. If buyers have to paint, they do not want to need to scrub dirty walls first. Ask for feed back from your agent if you are using one and see what information comes forth. Look for an agent who understands your situation and who has the skill to sell your place. Painting a pale neutral color if you have out-dated deep dark colors can help sell your house faster and it is relatively cheap but new counter-tops and flooring costs may not come back to you at the sale and they may turn off buyers who have different taste. I hate vinyl wood flooring and wall to wall carpeting; even if they are new I calculate the cost of replacement into what I will offer for a house. Every area is different. Talk with as many real-estate people as you can BEFORE for choose a listing agent. They can give good advice about your area. Ask for their suggestions. You are not obligated to choose any of the agents you interview before committing to one of them. You know you area best... what is the condition of houses that have sold in your immediate area and what did they sell for. If you sell via Zillow you can save the listing agent fee and you can require pre-approval of a mortgage letter before scheduling a showing. This would allow you to ask less for your house but you will have to show the house yourself. A house that is priced right will sell in many areas on the first day.

I'm in a condo, so many of those things are already taken care of. I keep a very tidy house - clean and not cluttered at all so that is not an issue. My main goal is to make this condo look "newer." It seems some young people are finding condos more affordable as first time homes, but they can't get past the "grandparents" style that usually goes with it. I want to freshen and update to look as modern as possible. The bedroom is a gorgeous Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams, very high ceilings with white flowing floor to ceiling panels....the bedroom is awesome and very "newish." I just need bathroom and kitchen ideas mostly. I will make the balcony look good...I'm a cottage/farmhouse type gal....so I am using lanterns and repurposed items all around as well.