There is a common misconception going around that if you want to sell your home, you first need to fully remodel it top to bottom. And while it is true that some remodeling projects can potentially increase the value of your property – thus boosting your sale price – not all of them will achieve the desired result.

That’s why you need to know which remodeling projects to focus on the most and which of them will bring you the best bang for your buck. Additionally, you want to avoid making any expensive changes that are purely aesthetic in nature because chances are that the potential buyer won’t share your opinion. So, you’d end up wasting money instead of making a wise investment.

That being said, let’s see what are some of the most valuable home remodels that can easily boost the value of your property without necessarily costing you an arm and a leg.

Focus on the areas that bring the most value

To start off, you should focus on areas that people tend to inspect first – and those are the bathroom and the kitchen. As mentioned, you shouldn’t really be focusing too much on the aesthetic appeal as much as you should focus on the functionality of these areas. For instance, as far as the kitchen is concerned, make sure all your kitchen cupboards and counters are not damaged and that they can still serve their intended purpose. Furthermore, inspect your appliances and see if they’re still performing well. Of course, if you notice something’s off, you should take care of it as soon as possible. Furthermore, if you have a water heater in your bathroom, make sure that it’s working properly and inspect the pipes for any damage or leakage. It goes without saying that both of these areas need to get a thorough scrub before you present them to potential buyers.

Check your doors and windows

Aside from the kitchen and the bathroom, you should also inspect your doors and windows and see what shape they’re in. If you notice that there’s any draft coming from them or that they’re not insulated properly, that should be the next step on your agenda. Closely inspect the state your window and door caulk is in and see if they could use some re-caulking. Also, make sure you thoroughly clean and repaint anything that needs some touching-up to make your old windows and doors look fresh and new. The best part is that you can easily do all of this yourself, which will certainly allow you to save some money in the process.

Inspect your walls

The walls of your home need to be treated with some love as well. This goes for both the outer and inner walls. While the façade of your home might require some extra care, taking care of your indoor walls is not too difficult. Inspect the state of your walls and wall paint and see where you’ll need to pay some extra attention. High-traffic areas are usually the ones that get dirty the most, so you should probably be focusing on them first. Aside from repainting your walls, you should also consider checking them for any harmful substances. For instance, in Australia, homes that were built before the 1990s used to contain asbestos. That’s why people nowadays contact experts in asbestos testing in Sydney to ensure that their homes are free of this harmful material. Also, keep in mind that you’re repainting your home with the intent to sell it, which is why it would be best if you try to stick to neutral shades.

Spruce up your backyard

If your property comes with a backyard, that’s certainly another thing you need to pay some attention to. However, when it comes to this area, in particular, you should be purposefully minimal with what you decide to do. What this means is that you should be focusing more on clearing out your yard of any potential junk and making sure that your grass is well-maintained rather than focusing on, let’s say, re-tiling your entire swimming pool. Aside from maintaining the grass and getting rid of junk, you should also make sure that there’s no dead foliage insight when potential buyers come to check out your house. Additionally, you may also want to inspect your pathways and your driveway and see if it needs any repairs.

Know when to stop

Finally, just as important it is to know what to do with your home before listing it up for sale, it’s important to know what not to waste either time or money on. Sure, buyers want to see a space that’s been well-loved and well-maintained when viewing a property, but they also need to be able to picture themselves living there. What this means is that, while you definitely need to make sure every corner of your home is doing its job – in terms of functionality and purpose, you need to try and minimize your personal fingerprint. The fact is that new owners will want to make space feel truly their own which is why you should try and present them with a clear base they can build their own style upon. 

Author Bio: John P Basta is a landscape architect and horticulturalists based in Perth. Also, he is a freelance blogger and a regular contributor to Smoothdecorator.com.