By Kristin Belt
If you’re like a lot of homeowners today, you might be tempted to chalk decorating choices up to personal preference and think they have little to do with home value—but this is a mistake. Whether or not you’re planning to sell your home soon, here’s what you need to know: the right decorating choices not only make your home a more enjoyable place for you to live, but also they increase and improve your property value when it comes time to put it on the market. This is because, believe it or not, there are a lot of ways that updates and decorating can increase how much your home is worth. How exactly does this work? What indoor décor boosts property value? Consider the following:
1. Fresh Paint. “Whether it’s interior or exterior painting, a fresh coat of paint instantly makes any space appear updated and clean, increasing its surface value,” says TLC Decorating Services. Stick to light neutrals that enlarge your living spaces and appeal to a wide range of tastes, and, if you have it in the budget, hire professionals who will make sure the paint job is done right.
2. Upgraded Lighting. There’s a reason real estate agents turn on all of a home’s lights for a showing — generally speaking, the brighter, the better. Well-lit rooms look bigger and more inviting, especially when attractive fixtures light them. Plus, because light fixtures are one of those home features that often will stay with a home when it sells, potential buyers are getting extra value from the recessed lighting, pendant lights and other fixtures you add to your layout and design.
3. Plantation Shutters. Attractive window treatments are always a selling point, especially if they’re custom-made like plantation shutters. Specifically created for your home’s living rooms, bedrooms or basement, plantation shutters add as much functionality as they do value, showing buyers yet another asset of your home.
4. Granite Countertops. It doesn’t matter if you live in a two-bedroom condo or a six-bedroom Georgian-style home, adding granite countertops is a design choice with value impact. “No matter what price the home is, most buyers want granite these days,” says Lee Anne Culpepper at Networx. Plus, because granite or other stone countertops are such an in-demand feature these days, most buyers will be willing to pay more for a home to get them.
5. New Appliances. Right along with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances are a top upgrade in terms of value boost. “The cold feel of steel is a hot ticket item for buyers,” says HGTV. “Transition your appliances as they wear out and go with a similar metallic look in your light switches.” Swap the old, outdated fridge, stove and dishwasher in your kitchen with sleek stainless steel and you bring it into the new century.
6. New Bathroom Tile. Nothing dates a bathroom faster than vintage tile, so if you want to breathe fresh life into a bathroom space, go with new, bright, modern tile instead. Light colors make small bathrooms look bigger — a major value boost come selling time — and modern choices make your bathrooms fit with your home’s more updated overall look.
7. Staged Rooms. Only a small percentage of the population can truly envision living in a home with outdated décor or empty rooms — that’s why a service like staging can be so powerful. According to Bankrate, one survey showed that home staging resulted in an average $1,780 price increase or 586 percent return on investment. If you want to make your home look more valuable and thus to command a higher sale price, consider hiring a stager to make your rooms look their best. When potential buyers see how attractive and spacious rooms can look, they’re one step closer to making an offer.
8. Attractive Framing. Empty walls force a buyer to try and imagine where art could go and how to fill space. When you have attractive, perhaps even custom framing throughout your living spaces, however, you have a perfect finishing touch — both for your own enjoyment in your home and for a desirable look when it’s time to sell.
If you’ve wanted to upgrade your home but are unsure how to justify it, this list is good news. Not only will the right indoor décor make your home more livable for the short term, but also it will add value for long-term resale. To figure out where to start with your remodeling projects, use the above eight ideas and make the most of your updates.
Kristin Belt is the owner of Austin FASTFRAME.
This post was originally published on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. Check the blog daily for winning real estate tips and tricks for you and your clients.
Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2015. All rights reserved.
