LOS ANGELES – When Lenin Johnson and Daisy Norms first bought a fixer upper back in 2010 for $253,800 in west Los Angeles they thought they were going to be living there for the rest of their lives. So the couple, in their mid 30’s focused on remodeling the house to their personal taste. They installed eco-friendly windows, appliances, LED light bulbs and water boiler. They also replaced the old worn down countertops with flat top stainless countertops to modernize the home.
Boosting a home’s value is every homeowners dream. Some people’s homes go up on value because of the neighborhood the property is in, but other home’s value decrease. It all depends where the property is.
Outside, Lenin and Daisy replaced the old stucco walls with eco-friendly stucco that help the home keep cool in the summer and keep warn in the winter. They also replaced the outdated security lights with LED lights that start recording then the motion sensor goes off. The couple saved money by going the good ol’ do-it-yourself route and replacing wooden fence that surrounded their home. Even though Lenin and Daisy saved money by tackling some of the tasks themselves they still spend $45,000.
#1 – The Kitchen is The One of the Main Things That Will Increase Your Property Value
Ever since flipping houses became a thing, flippers have realized that homebuyers will spend more for a nice and modern kitchen. Just like the saying goes “Kitchen is king”. Real estate agents also noticed that first time homeowners had a modern / up-to-date kitchen on top of their list. However, if you’re planning on selling your home don’t go tearing down your kitchen cabinets and kitchen tile. For as little as $4,000 or les you are able to replace the old appliances like the refrigerator, stove, dishwasher and microwave. One of the easiest ways to brighten up your kitchen is to paint a fresh of white paint; paint always makes a home look much nicer. Replacing the old cabinets with dark wood modern cabinets will give your kitchen a sleek look.
#2 – Open Floor Plan
Homebuyers love open floor space, especially those with small children and pets. Open floor space is the second most wanted feature, according to real estate agents. Home flippers have figured out that by updating an old basement homebuyers gave higher offers. A good size basement is not only used for storage it could also be converted into an extra room. Most homeowners spend around $5,000 and up renovating the basement. Lenin says;
“I renovated my living room to have more open floor space for the kids and it’s been the best thing I’ve done and by remodeling the basement I was able to make that my dogs room”
Open floor space makes the living room more spacious and it makes it look much more spacious.
#3 – Make Your Home Eco-Friendly
Receiving a ridiculously high electric bill is the worst. In states like Nevada, Arizona and California that have extreme heat waves electric bills are usually higher because homeowners use the air conditioner more. Older homes seem to be high heat hogs.
#4 – When You Remodel Your Home Keep in Mind What’s In At the Time
Personalizing your home to your taste will most likely be hard to sell. According to real estate agents homeowners want homes that are simple. When homes are too personalized or customized for one person the house becomes harder to sell and usually drops in value. Some homeowners are only thinking about themselves and don’t think about if they want to sell the house in the future. Tom Honky from Honky Agents in northern California says;
“A house keeps it value when it’s built for all ages not just for young families, people don’t keep in mind homebuyers come in all ages”
#5 – A Fresh Coat of Paint Will Most Likely Boost Your Property Value
A fresh coat of paint will keep your home looking great, while also defending its surface from normal wear and tear. If you’re going to sell don’t go all out and spend your money on expensive paints and painters instead think smart and paint the exterior and the busiest areas of your house. The house you want to sell needs to look good on open house day and a fresh coat will do just that. Peter Jacobs from Hanington Real Estate Agents says;
“People see a nice coat and paint and they automatically think the house is newer than it is, so go ahead and paint away”
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