Fsbo

It’s more than just a roof over your head, or a place you go when work’s over – your home is probably the most valuable asset you own. So it makes perfect sense that you maintain, nurture and enhance its appeal, and make it, well, the perfect home. And you don’t need a bulldozer to do that; you’ll find that quality wins over quantity. That a nifty touch here and a clever tweak there often add more value to your living space than the most extravagant additions or renovations.

And just to give you that added edge over the Joneses, we’ve compiled 77 tips that will push your home further along the path to not only feeling good, but also looking great.

Stop reading beyond this, if you can pull this one off…

1. Beg, plead, cajole, wheedle, bribe – use all your powers of persuasion to get your home on any one of those makeover shows on television – Extreme Makeover, Trading Spaces, and if you’re unbelievably lucky, The Oprah Show. Once Nate Berkus steps in your door, you can bet your last buck that your home’s value shoots up to the stars and beyond!

Or else…

Small drops of water make the mighty ocean…

2. Add appeal with more storage space, be it in the kitchen, bathroom or even the garage. A place for everything and everything in its place makes for a tidier and better-looking home. Hanging wall storage systems are not going to make a significant dent in your budget.
3. Trade in those old, leaky faucets for shiny new ones.
4. Throw out those old light fixtures, brighten up your space with new bulbs that also bring down your power consumption.
5. Spruce up your cabinets with a fresh coat of paint, or, if they’re dirty, take a brush and soap to them, get those dirty fingerprints out, and get them looking as good as new.
6. Clean, shake up your carpet, get them looking as good as new again.
7. Make sure all the latches and bolts work, that the hinges are well-oiled and don’t make creaky noises.
8. Put in new blades in your fans, or just clean out the old ones.
9. Use throws in colors that match the room to cover up worn sofa and chair upholstery.
10. Get a plumber and electrician to make sure your wiring and pipes are in the right places and working just as they should.
11. Dust, vacuum, and clear those cobwebs away on a regular basis.
12. Degrease your oven, clean up your refrigerator.
13. Open windows, fresh air, and artificial fresheners (or scented candles) do wonders for a smelly bathroom.
14. Change the filter in your air-conditioner to avoid that stale, musty smell when it’s turned on.
15. Take care of those minor repairs that crop up every now and then immediately. Proper maintenance saves you quite a bit on expensive restoration and renovation.
16. If your home is cluttered with knick-knacks and furniture, put some of it away in storage. Larger spaces create the impression of a bigger house.
17. Hang a large mirror in the living room; it creates virtual space besides adding to overall appeal.
18. If you’re looking to add an extra wall, sometimes, a well-styled room divider may suffice to create two separate rooms instead of one large one.
19. Plain old cats and dogs or exotic pets – you may love them, but their inherent odors may not be acceptable to all. Get rid of those smells.
20. If you have green fingers, apply them to window boxes and hanging baskets to generate a riot of colors that add quaint charm to your home.
21. When choosing tiles, countertops, paint, cabinet doors, or kitchen appliances, go with colors that will stand the test of time even as fashions come and go. Opt for neutral, rather than flashy shades.
22. If you have a fireplace, make sure it is the center of the room. Rearrange the furniture around it.

A little, but not a lot extra…

23. Reface cabinet doors, especially those that are peeling and fading.
24. Dress up more than just your salad in the kitchen – make sure your appliances’ colors match. More often than not, it’s just a question of ordering the right colored panels.
25. Redo your bathroom floor – new vinyl tiles or sheet vinyl make a world of difference.
26. Replace chipped tiles in your shower and tub, re-grout if needed.
27. A new toilet seat is a small, but useful expense.
28. Replace your bathroom fan with a bigger one to get rid of moisture more quickly and prevent mold. T
29. Put in new towel rods and toilet paper holders.
30. Fresh paint on all your walls does more than brighten up the rooms.
31. Make the inside of your home more comfortable with dehumidifiers.
32. Glaze the inside of your windows to save on heating and electricity expenses.
33. Make sure your house is water and wind proofed. Check for broken roof tiles/slates, blocked drainpipes, and get them fixed at the earliest.

Going all out…

34. Replace your entire kitchen cabinetry/countertop.
35. Install a fancy island; this separates your cooking and preparation spaces, and helps you stay more organized.
36. Still using your grandmother’s cooking range? Update your kitchen appliances; treat yourself to the latest, swanky innovations available in the market.
37. Install a new bathtub, toilet, shower.
38. Plaster the bathroom walls with vinyl paper, and put in a new ceramic tile floor.
39. Add a few extra cabinets for your toiletries and medicines.
40. Purchase that Allstate hurricane insurance policy you’ve been considering for some time.
41. Make your kitchen and bathroom not only environment-friendly, but also safe to use for children and the elderly.
42. Treat your feet to the latest in flooring material, from exotic hardwood to heated tiles that warm your soles.
43. Install the Jacuzzi with all the bells and whistles and multiple jets that looked so good at your friend’s home.
44. Increase your storage space – walk-in closets in your bedroom, large areas in your garage to stow your bicycles and other stuff, and roomier cabinets and larders in your kitchen.
45. An empty basement with lots of clutter? Turn it into a TV den, or, if you are a sommelier, it’s the perfect wine cellar.
46. If your fireplace has a mantel, consider modernizing.
47. Use materials of good quality when building or replacing things.

Adding additional appeal…

48. Remember those days when you fought over who got to use the bathroom next? And banging on the door to get your sluggish sibling/child out? Build that extra bathroom to add more comfort and order to your daily routine.
49. Quantity is desirable when it’s a question of bedrooms. And before your mind wanders into realms beyond the scope of this list, let me explain – a three-bedroom home is much more valuable than one with just two. So if you have that extra den, put in some closets, add a bed, and voila, a bedroom is ready.
50. A loft is a great way to add more room to your home without compromising on existing space. Cozy, comfortable, and convenient way to increase your living space.
51. Garages and off-street parking spaces are desirable additions to a home.
52. Consider converting your attic into an extra bedroom.
53. A patio or an outside deck is an option to consider if you are looking for external appeal.
54. Home theaters, gyms, game rooms and computer rooms are becoming trendy these days. Extra room to spare? Put in that big screen, set up your sound system, and throw in a few cushions to add comfort; or just make space for a computer table and all the paraphernalia that surround it; or set up your treadmill and exercise bike, sweat it out and get fit in the comfort of your home; or treat yourself to a ping pong or foosball table, have friends over, and have yourselves a gaming party.

Beauty is sometimes skin-deep…

55. Your home may have the perfect interior, but if the outside sucks, let’s face it, people are just going to drive by. Start the cosmetic makeover by cleaning up your yard first; get rid of old junk lying around, trim the hedges, mow your lawn, and rake up those leaves.
56. Paint the fence (or railing) surrounding your house, and get those broken boards and bars fixed. The walls could do with a coat or two too.
57. Spruce up your front door – a fresh coat of paint, a new knocker, or even a shiny knob – they work wonders. And make sure your doorbell works!
58. Make sure the address number is in a readable, visible font. Stylized curves may not be those easiest on the eyes.
59. Paint that mailbox; better still, pull it out and put in a new one.
60. Recoat your driveway. Pull up those weeds in the cracks between the tiles, and clean up the mold and mildew.
61. Uproot those dead and dying plants and shrubs.
62. Add new vinyl and siding to replace those shoddy ones.
63. Shake out not just the dust from the welcome mat, put in a new, bright one that says more than just welcome.
64. Wash your windows – you wouldn’t believe how much of a difference one coat less of grime will make.
65. Clean the roof – get a professional to help.
66. Chop those tree branches that tempt entry through your house’s windows.
67. Add subtle lighting effects that make your home look appealing in the dark from the outside.
68. Use those hard-earned dollars on the features that are visible rather than on those that must be used to be appreciated. At times, a look is all it takes for instant attraction.

Permission to putter, peel or paint…

69. Before you pull out that first tool, check local zoning laws to find out if you are allowed to remodel or make alterations. You may need separate permits for electrical, plumbing, and mechanical jobs.
70. Also ensure that you speak with a construction or semi truck attorney (link) as they can help you avoid liability and costs.
71. Be very careful when tearing down walls to create larger spaces; you don’t want to pull down those load-bearing walls without a second thought.
72. Finalize your plans before you start carrying them out, and get the opinion of a professional appraiser to check if all the changes you’ve chalked out are worth it.

Enough is enough…

73. Don’t go overboard and build additions that are not necessary. Make sure your home is as good as, not better than, the rest of the houses in your neighborhood. While a swimming pool might earn your neighbor’s envy, it’s not necessarily going to add value to your home.
74. Retain the essence of the original – modern is not always good. Avoid taking out traditional fixtures like stained glasses and putting in new-fangled replacements that do not blend with the fundamental core of the house.

Final words of wisdom…

75. You may be a jack-of-all-trades, but it’s wiser to hire a professional to take care of most of the suggestions in the above list, if you wish to save yourself the considerable time and cost that are associated with repairing botched jobs.
76. It’s your home after all, so make sure you choose the right people to help you increase its value. Shop around, find out the best (not necessarily the costliest) in the business, and check their references before inviting them to have a go at your home.
77. And last, but not the least, make sure that the value you add reflects the worth of the house. You may end up spending thousands of dollars only to realize that you have not improved your home’s monetary market worth by much. So tread with caution.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 6th, 2009 at 10:49 am and is filed under FSBO. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Rate this post