How are you supposed to know. What to update in the house for resale

https://www.thebalance.com/should-i-fix-up-my-home-or-try-to-sell-as-is-1798973

Kitchen, bathroom, neutral paint, declutter. Don’t put a ton of money into it, you won’t get it back. Also, the buyers will come in and redo most everything to their liking. Neutral is the key. And most definitely declutter. Stage the rooms like a buyer might use them. I had to seek my very large house and I worked room by room. I boxed up tons of stuff and put it in storage. Less is more. also over personal things. You want them to see their family there, not yours.

How are you suppose to know? Ask your realtor! If you want to put money into the house, kitchens, then baths are the big items that sell a house. YOur realtor should know if it's better to sell at a reduced price rather than put money into the house. Otherwise, just paint everything a neutral off white color. Make sure the front entry is inviting. Maybe painting the front door a cheerful color and adding a few plants.

In the meantime, remove all clutter, personal pictures, unused clothing etc. Pack them in a box and store them neatly in the corner of your garage. It tells people you are motivated to move.

Basically kitchens and bathrooms are what buyers look for.Your realtor should be guiding you.

I had been told by reaal estate agents that bathrooms are good to update' Kitchens also. But also keep colors neutral so that buyers can color in what they like. Also make sure the entrance they see when looking is a nice pleasing site. Old faucets that are well worn usually do not look clean even if they are.

The biggest selling items are the kitchen and the curb appeal. Focus on updating starting from the least expensive like paint. For curb appeal, drive around and see how houses look from the street all neat and well kept and get some ideas for how it would work at your own home. Look through magazines or catalogs at the local library until you find what you think would be appropriate for your front yard and front of home. Sometimes just a good neat trip of grass away from the drive or sidewalks and a small bush or two will help, possibly update the paint on the front door or paint a "rug" look on the front porch etc. to make your home look like it is saying "welcome".

Updates just before you sell usually don't return what you put into them. If you are moving within 6 months, concentrate of fixing anything broken, like closet doors, leaky faucets, holes in walls, etc. Paint walls and ceilings with flat white or off white paint - especially if the room is dark or the kids wanted a crazy color in the bedroom. Bold colors are a big turn off for most people looking at a house. Wash windows, curtains, and clean everything. Polish bathroom towel bars, faucets, metal cabinet pulls with a kitchen wax to make them sparkle. If your kitchen cabinets feel sticky scrub and polish them and don't forget the stove! Same with door knobs, people touch them and if they feel yucky they will walk out! If you love that out of the ordinary chandelier take it with you and replace with something simple. Make sure all the switch plates are clean (run thru the dishwasher and re-install them). Put bright light bulbs in all ceiling lights and lamps. Make sure there are no bugs laying in those ceiling fixtures. Clean out under cabinets and closets because people open them to check them out. Another very important thing is make it smell good, nothing over powering, but something faint like a clean linen candle. If your carpeting is really gross and would make your cringe, replace it with a laminate wood floor - nothing wild or dark.

remove anything personal to neutralize the spaces inside, like a family picture wall. Kitchens and bathrooms, where people eat and bathe should be spotless even if they are ready for a remodel. Rooms should have a function or be clear for their purpose. People need to fit themselves into your house, not just be visiting your house and decor.

Houzz has some good info and so does realtor.com. Most important is what your competition looks like. You should view the nearby houses on line and see what they have to offer, or better go and see them. Fresh neutral paint is always appreciated. A clean house with no clutter and art work without eyes. Nothing too political or religious. Once your house is on the market, you have to stop thinking of it as yours and remove all obvious evidence that you live there. Maybe have a trusted friend do a walk thru and tell you what you need to change.

I have moved many, many times due to my husband’s job; my last move was three years ago. I love interior decor so my interior looked pretty up to date. As others have said, updated kitchens and bathrooms are big draws, however, they don’t always sell a house because your taste may be entirely different than someone else. Don’t stress too much over what you don’t wish to renovate. As long as the house is clean, well maintained with no pet odors, etc, there’s a buyer for every house.

I did reseal my driveway so it looked new and not faded, and repainted the wood around the garage doors as some paint had chipped off, and I had the carpets cleaned. My grass was always cut, with the edges of garden beds cut and “edged” neatly with a blade. I also weeded constantly. One big turnoff for me when I’m house hunting is scented items throughout a house. Many articles say have a scented candle burning, or pot pourri simmering on the stove. If I see that, I immediately think the seller is trying to cover up pet accidents or mildew - so skip the fake perfumes and just keep the house clean.

Do minor repairs such as loose hinges, door handles, and so on. One final hint which people seemed to appreciate ... we had to list in the dead of Winter one year but had a beautiful garden. We left color photographs out on the counter so viewers could see what lay beneath the snow! It worked ... sold in four days!