Bang For Your Buck

By Margie Fontanilla | Interior Designer

If you’re planning to sell your home, it’s important to think about how to emphasize your home’s most attractive features and deemphasize any perceived flaws. Interior design trends are constantly changing, making it challenging for homeowners to choose which home renovation projects are worth their time and money. Here are some tips on spending your money wisely and really getting the biggest bang for your buck.

Paint in Neutral Colors

Repainting exterior and interior walls is the easiest and most inexpensive way to obtain the greatest bang for your buck. Nothing turns off a buyer more than bold, bright paint colors that don’t appeal to them. So, make it easy: go neutral on your walls. Whites, beiges, and light greys will add style while making a considerable aesthetic difference. Neutrals provide a blank slate as a backdrop, helping buyers visualize themselves living and relaxing within your spaces. These colors also make spaces look large, fresh, and clean. Besides, neutral colors can easily match most furniture, further enhancing the turn-key allure of your home.

Go Minimalist

To adapt a minimalist style for your interiors, limit the design of each space to basic essentials and functional pieces. Furniture should be minimal and arranged in a way that flows well. Cramped, messy rooms alienate buyers and make your home look small and claustrophobic. A home packed with personal belongings also makes it difficult for others to visualize living there. Start decluttering and depersonalizing your rooms by clearing out excess furniture, toys, family photos, and personal decorations. Pack up things you do not use on a regular basis and place them in storage. Reduce the amount of accessories and art pieces to create a spacious, airy ambience. Decluttering will also give you a head-start on your move.

Add Smart Home Featues

Smart home features are generally attractive to Silicon Valley homebuyers. The ability to access security systems, heating and cooling systems, and various devices throughout a residence via smartphone app makes it even more sellable. Ken DeLeon, our founder and the head of the DeLeon buyer team, explains, “Homebuyers are often captivated by new technology and features that they have not seen in other homes. Some buyers will favor one home over another simply because of these smart home features.”

Install Sleek Countertops

Dated kitchens do not impress buyers. However, the idea of a kitchen renovation can be daunting to buyers and sellers alike, especially if it involves demolition. Installing granite or quartz countertops is a relatively minor renovation that can greatly increase the value of a home and bring in a good return on investment. Both quartz and granite are strong, sleek, and high-end surfaces that instantly add a tone of luxury to a kitchen. Quartz even has the added benefit of being more flexible; it is durable, heat-resistant, scratch-resistant, and just plain gorgeous. Replacing your countertops and repainting old-fashioned cabinetry can make your kitchen appear as attractive as possible, without the staggering price tag of a total kitchen remodel.

Refinish Your Hardwood Floors

Buyers are constantly wowed by gleaming hardwood floors. They make homes look larger and brighter, and they are easy to clean. If your home already has hardwood floors but they’ve been neglected, have them sanded and refinished down to the core. Stylishly refinished hardwood floors will drastically enhance the look of your home. This option costs less than you’d think, and will look and feel brand-new.

If you’re putting your home on the market soon, minor renovations can really boost your home’s value. Our team even provides interior designers who can help you invest in trendy home features that will provide the biggest bang for your buck.