Increase the selling price of your home

It’s a busy time in the wild world of real estate. After a nationwide crisis, there has been a surge of home sales across the country and homeowners once again are looking for ways to increase the value of their houses -- regardless of their intent on selling them.

Experts say there are a number of simple ways to help your property see a rise in value.

“To draw buyers in, you need to create a visual story of how they could live in your home,” says Starr Osborne, founder of moving-management and design company Tailored Transitions and author of “Home Staging That Works: Sell Your Home in Less Time for More Money.” “You need to prepare your home in such a way that it tells them a tale of the wonderful life that awaits them.”

With a few quick moves, telling that story can be easier.

Consider an inspection

When it comes to the inner workings of any home, a lot can go wrong. There are also plenty of inopportune times for a house’s plumbing or electricity to suddenly go out. Plan a proper home inspection and rest easier knowing your property is up to code.

Lynn Bentfield, a Realtor at Edina Realty in Duluth, said she recommends sellers get a home inpections with a home warranty. Sellers pay for the inspection up front (usually around $300) but they don’t have to pay for the warranty until the home sells (those usually run between $400 and $500.)

“The inspectors on our list will provide a warranty on things like the appliances, furnace and roof,” Bentfield said. “We find that having a warranty (which is good for a year) really helps people ease into buying a property.”

Get a fresh perspective

By bringing in a home stager for a couple of hours, you’ll gain insight into your home from someone with an established background in real estate. By offering the odd decorating idea, he or she can help bring your home in line with the latest and most popular design trends.

Stage your home

There are many ways easy or temporary upgrades to your home that can come in handy if you’re showing it to prospective buyers. “Home staging has infiltrated the selling process all across the country,” says Osborne. “Clearly, staging boosts sales prices.”

There are several companies in Duluth that do staging. However, not everyone needs to hire someone to stage their home.

“Some people really need it, others don’t,” Bentfield said. “Some people just have a knack for it. And some people have too many personal things out. They could benefit from a little help with staging their home.”

According to a recent HomeGain survey of 2,000 realtors nationwide, 91 percent recommended staging before selling. Simple solutions from replacing faucets to moving furniture can dramatically impact your home’s sale price.

Unclutter

If you’re looking to sell, improve that first impression. Make sure your lawn, shrubbery, walkway and driveway are all tidy. Get rid of messes and consider a new doormat or some nice planters. Removing books and lamps helps unclutter a living or family room.

Fix the easy stuff

Repair paint cracks with spackle and a new coat. Fix cracked or missing baseboards, thresholds and tiling. Make sure hinges are well oiled and that doors and windows open and close easily.

Add some color

By investing in some nice paints and applying a fresh coat, any home can be given new life quickly and easily. Assign specific colors to different rooms, and you’ll find that walking around the house is a whole new experience.

In a quick-fix marketplace where home values have decreased while transactions increase, deciding to sell or not can be a big decision. But a few simple tweaks can raise your home’s value, whatever decision you make.

This story was provided by StatePoint Media to the Budgeteer News. Jana Peterson of the Budgeteer News contributed to this story.

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