I can’t say that I agree 100% with everything here, although I do have to bow to the market demands. This is the culmination of polls taken by leading real estate experts (who also didn’t agree with ALL the tastes of the respondents). If you’re thinking of some home improvement projects for the winter, it wouldn’t hurt to keep up with the times and consider these changes.
1. Your Personal Paint Palette
I think everyone knows this but it is always worth repeating. It’s best to paint over colors that reflect your taste but may put off potential buyers, such as a scarlet-red accent wall, a lemon-yellow child’s bedroom or a purple den. Fun colors are for living, but neutral colors are for selling.
Avoid using stark-white paint, though. Choose a warm neutral color — beige, ivory, taupe or light gray — that makes your rooms look inviting, larger and brighter. Redo painted trim in white.
After all is said and done, the color and warmth of your rooms will be reflected in the pictures used to list your home.
2. Popcorn-Finished Ceilings
If you’ve lived with a popcorn ceiling (like I have), you know that it accumulates dirt, defies cleaning and is hard to paint. Worse, if your home was built prior to the mid-1980s, it may contain asbestos. (It was banned in ceiling products in 1977, but existing supplies may have been used later.) Hopefully, yours may just be a cosmetic issue and can be sanded and repainted.
4. Wall-to-Wall Carpeting
Buyers these days expect hardwood floors, even in starter homes. If carpet hides your home’s floors, remove it to expose them, even if the wood isn’t in the best condition. If you don’t have hardwood, you may want to consider having it installed in a first-floor living area. If you must keep the carpeting, make sure it looks and smells its best by having it professionally cleaned, especially in high-traffic areas or if you have pets.
5. Brass Fixtures
From switch plates to chandeliers, builder-grade, shiny yellow brass is out. Replace it with chrome- or satin-nickel-finish fixtures for a contemporary look, or an oil-rubbed bronze or black finish to update a traditional room. This is a pretty straightforward do-it-yourself job.
6. ‘Crystal’ Faucet Handles
Acrylic knobs in the bathroom look cheap and can be hard to grip by young, aged or soapy hands. Replace them with a faucet-and-handle set that matches the existing fixture’s configuration (centerset or widespread) and meets the standard of the Americans with Disabilities Act with flipper- or lever-style handles. A polished-chrome finish will cost you the least and still be durable. Plus, the National Kitchen & Bath Association says that the finish is enjoying a surge in popularity over brushed or satin finishes.
7. Vanity Strips
Nothing says 1970s like a Hollywood-style strip of bare, round lights over your bathroom mirror. Replace it with a fixture that includes a shade for each bulb in a style and finish that complements your faucet set. If you have a one-person mirror, you could replace the vanity strip with a wall sconce on either side of the mirror to achieve better lighting for shaving or applying make-up.
If you’d like a complimentary review of your home and suggestions on how you can boost the value of your home, please contact me. My site is http://www.NormaSellsNJHomes.com