Top 5 Tips to Boost Your Sale Price

Summary

In this video, real estate agent Sean P shares cost-effective tips for increasing a home's value on a tight budget. He emphasizes decluttering to make rooms appear larger, advises meticulous cleaning to create a positive first impression, and suggests repainting with neutral colors to modernize the space. Sean also recommends brightening interiors with better lighting and sticking to a budget to avoid unnecessary expenses. He advises planning renovations with a consistent vision to impress potential buyers.

Takeaways

• 🧹 **Decluttering**: Decluttering your home can make it feel bigger and more open, allowing potential buyers to envision themselves living there.
• 🧼 **Deep Cleaning**: A spotless house is crucial when selling; cleanliness can significantly impact a buyer's perception of the property's condition.
• 🎨 **Painting**: Repainting with neutral colors like white can modernize a home and make it feel brighter, which is a cost-effective improvement.
• 💡 **Lighting**: Brightening interior spaces by trimming foliage, using lighter curtains, or upgrading light fixtures can make a home feel more inviting.
• 🛠️ **Budgeting**: Stick to a budget when making home improvements to ensure you get the best return on investment.
• 🚫 **Avoid Unnecessary Additions**: Don't make additional changes that weren't part of the original plan, as they might not add value.
• 📈 **Plan Ahead**: Have a clear vision for the entire property's finish to maintain a cohesive look throughout.
• 🏡 **Consistency**: Keep finishes, colors, and hardware consistent throughout the home for a polished and intentional feel.
• 👨‍🎨 **Quality Over Quantity**: Spend a little more on good quality paint and brushes for a professional-looking result.
• 🌟 **First Impressions**: Pay attention to details like cleaning the exterior, patio, and even the car in the driveway to make a good first impression.

Q & A

What is the most powerful thing you can do to improve your home's value without spending money?

Decluttering is the most powerful free action you can take to improve your home's value. It helps potential buyers visualize living in the space by making it feel bigger and more open.

How much should you declutter your home before putting it on the market?

You should declutter to the point where you pack up about 40 to 50% of your belongings, ensuring surfaces are clear and closets appear about 25% full, similar to a hotel room.

Why is cleanliness crucial when selling a home?

A clean home is essential because it prevents buyers from making negative assumptions about the property's maintenance. Smells or visible dirt can imply that the entire house is unclean.

What are some areas that often get overlooked during cleaning but are noticed by buyers?

Areas like behind heavy drapes, near doorknobs where children touch, and ceiling corners with spider webs are often overlooked but can be noticed by buyers.

How can painting impact the perceived value of a home?

Painting can make a significant difference by creating a modern feel, brightening spaces, and making rooms appear larger. It's a cost-effective way to improve a home's appeal.

What color is recommended for painting when preparing to sell a home?

White or neutral colors are recommended as they brighten rooms and are universally appealing to buyers.

What is the importance of brightening interior spaces when selling a home?

Brightening interior spaces makes the home feel more inviting and spacious, which can enhance the buyer's impression and potentially increase the home's value.

What simple changes can be made to improve lighting in a home?

Simple changes include trimming back foliage outside windows, using lighter or fewer drapes, upgrading to higher wattage bulbs, or installing more modern light fixtures.

Why is it important to stick to a budget when making home improvements for selling?

Sticking to a budget ensures that you invest in improvements with the best return on investment and avoid overspending on unnecessary or personalized changes that may not appeal to all buyers.

What is the bonus tip for maintaining a consistent look throughout the home during renovations?

Having a vision for the entire property's finished look and sticking to it ensures a cohesive design. This includes keeping flooring, color schemes, and hardware consistent throughout the home.

How can maintaining a consistent finish throughout the home impact potential buyers?

A consistent finish makes the home feel intentional and well-planned, which can impress buyers and make them feel more confident in the quality of the home.

Outlines

00:00

🏠 Decluttering and Cleaning for Home Value

Sean P, a real estate agent in Victoria BC, starts the video by discussing how to improve the value of your home on a small budget. The first step is decluttering, which is almost free and involves packing up about 40-50% of your belongings to make the space feel larger and more open. This allows potential buyers to envision themselves living in the home. Sean also emphasizes the importance of cleanliness, suggesting that the house should be spotless, including carpets, windows, and even the exterior and car in the driveway. A clean home can significantly impact a buyer's perception of the property's value.

05:02

🎨 Painting and Lighting for Enhanced Appeal

The video continues with Sean discussing the impact of paint and lighting on a home's value. He suggests that painting rooms in neutral colors, particularly white, can make a space feel larger and brighter. Investing in good quality paint and brushes is recommended to achieve a professional finish. Additionally, Sean advises on brightening interior spaces through strategic trimming of outdoor foliage, using California shutters wisely, and upgrading to higher wattage light fixtures or LED bulbs. He also mentions the value of modern lighting fixtures in enhancing the home's appeal. Lastly, Sean advises viewers to stick to a budget and maintain a consistent vision for the property to avoid over-improving and to ensure a cohesive look throughout the home.

Keywords

💡Declutter

Decluttering refers to the process of removing unnecessary items from a living space to make it appear more organized and spacious. In the context of the video, decluttering is emphasized as a cost-effective strategy to enhance the appeal of a home for potential buyers. The speaker suggests packing up about 40 to 50% of one's belongings to create an environment that feels like a hotel room, which helps viewers imagine living in the space.

💡Budget

A budget is a financial plan that outlines how much money is available to spend on various expenses. In the video, the concept of budgeting is crucial as it advises homeowners to stick to a predetermined amount when making home improvements to increase property value. The speaker warns against exceeding the budget and doing unnecessary work that may not yield a good return on investment.

💡Cleanliness

Cleanliness is the state of being clean and free from dirt, germs, or unwanted substances. The video underscores the importance of cleanliness when preparing a home for sale. A clean home not only makes a good first impression but also suggests to potential buyers that the property has been well-maintained. The speaker advises cleaning the house thoroughly and then cleaning it again to ensure every nook and cranny is spotless.

💡Paint

Paint refers to the application of a pigmented liquid to a surface, often for aesthetic or protective purposes. In the video, painting is presented as an affordable home improvement project that can significantly boost a home's appeal. The speaker recommends using high-quality paint and taking the time to prepare the area properly to achieve a clean, modern look that brightens up the space.

💡Lighting

Lighting in this context refers to the fixtures, bulbs, and strategies used to illuminate a space. The video discusses the impact of lighting on the perception of a home's interior. Brighter interiors are more inviting, so the speaker suggests strategies like trimming back foliage, using California shutters, and upgrading to higher wattage bulbs or modern light fixtures to enhance the home's ambiance.

💡Strategic Planning

Strategic planning involves setting goals and determining actions to achieve them. In the video, strategic planning is applied to home improvement, where the speaker advises homeowners to have a clear vision and stick to a plan when making renovations. This approach ensures that improvements are intentional and consistent throughout the property, which can impress potential buyers.

💡Return on Investment (ROI)

Return on Investment (ROI) is a financial metric used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment. In the video, ROI is mentioned in the context of home improvements, where the speaker cautions against making changes that may not provide a good ROI. The focus should be on improvements that will increase the home's value and appeal to buyers.

💡Real Estate Agent

A real estate agent is a professional who assists in the buying, selling, or renting of properties. In the video, the speaker introduces himself as a real estate agent in Victoria, BC, and shares his expertise on how to improve a home's value. His role is to provide guidance and insights to homeowners looking to enhance their property's appeal.

💡Staging

Staging is the process of preparing a property for sale by presenting it in the best possible light. In the video, staging is implied through the advice to declutter and clean the home. The goal is to help potential buyers envision themselves living in the space, which can be achieved by making the home look clean, spacious, and inviting.

💡Fixtures

Fixtures refer to the permanent or semi-permanent items that are attached to a property, such as lighting fixtures, cabinetry, or plumbing. In the video, the speaker discusses upgrading fixtures as a way to modernize the home and improve its value. This includes changing light fixtures or even considering a new chandelier for key areas of the home.

💡Consistency

Consistency refers to the uniformity or lack of variation in something. In the context of the video, consistency is important when it comes to the finishes and colors used throughout the home. The speaker advises maintaining the same flooring, color scheme, and hardware to create a cohesive look that makes the home feel intentional and well-planned.

Highlights

Decluttering your home is a powerful, almost free way to improve its value.

Packing up about 40 to 50% of your stuff makes the space feel bigger and more open.

Clear all surfaces and keep closets about 25% full to mimic a hotel room feel.

Cleaning your house thoroughly is essential and can significantly impact the buyer's impression.

Steam carpets, wash windows, and clean hard-to-notice areas to ensure a pristine home.

Painting your home can make a huge difference at a low cost.

Choose light colors and good quality paint for a modern and bright feel.

Brightening interior spaces can be as simple as trimming foliage or changing light fixtures.

Consider upgrading to LED bulbs or modern lighting fixtures for a more contemporary look.

Stick to a budget to ensure you get the best return on investment for your home improvements.

Avoid adding unnecessary extras that can detract from the value of your home.

Having a vision for the entire property and sticking to it ensures a cohesive and intentional look.

Keep the same flooring, color scheme, and hardware throughout the property for a unified feel.

Plan in advance to ensure a consistent look across all rooms and finishes.

If you're not selling immediately, still plan your renovations with the end goal in mind.

Like and subscribe for more real estate tips and insights.

Connect with Sean P for personalized real estate advice and insights.

Transcripts

hey guys Sean P here and in this video I

want to explore where the best places to

focus your energy are if you want to

improve the value of your home and you

only have a small budget for those of

you who are new to the channel I'm Sean

ponche I'm a real estate agent in

Victoria BC and I share what it's like

living here and I explore our real

estate market so if you see value and

you're interested in this stuff please

like And subscribe I'd love to make sure

that you don't miss anything coming up

and if you have plans involving real

estate we should connect you can do that

using the link in the description okay

you want to improve the value of your

home but you don't have a lot of money

to spend well guess what this one's

almost free it's probably free for most

of you the most powerful thing that you

can do without spending a dime is to

declutter when people view Homes that

are for sale they want to be able to

picture themselves living in the home

and it's really hard for them to do that

if you've got your stuff everywhere so

you're moving anyways pack up about 40

to 50% of your stuff trust me I know it

sounds like a lot just go ahead and do

it and you'll be amazed how much bigger

and open the space feels after you've

done

it if you think you've packed up enough

pack up some more all of your surfaces

should be completely clear your closet

should only be about 25% full when

you're done it should feel like a hotel

room and it should feel like they could

arrive with their things in a bag and

unpack without having to move your

things out of the way make room for them

to picture the themselves living in your

home they can't do that if all of your

stuff is everywhere you want to boost

the sale price of your home and you

don't want to spend any money well

here's a freebie clean like hell your

house cannot be too clean when you put

it on the market for sale trust me if

someone walks in and they smell dog or

see fingerprints next to a light switch

they're going to assume that everything

in the house is absolutely disgusting

this one's on you and it's so easy to

overlook cuz I get it you're busy trying

to get everything else ready but this is

one of the most important things and if

you get it wrong buyers will assume that

you didn't maintain the rest of the home

because how could someone so careless

have missed something this easy so when

you're done cleaning what I want you to

do is pick back up your cleaning

supplies and clean again or clean

something else so we're not just talking

about the obvious stuff you should steam

your carpets you should wash your

windows you should clean the basement

you should clean the base boards you

should clean near the doorknob where

your kids touch and on the walls where

your kids touch because handprints are

gross and nobody wants to see that you

should clean between the cabinets in the

ceiling where there's that little bit of

spider web that you didn't notice but

someone else is going to notice it trust

me they do notice it and they talk to me

about it when I'm showing your home

clean underneath your laundry sink and

behind your toilet and then when you're

done clean your patio and clean the

outside of your house and clean the car

that's going to be in the driveway when

people come to look at it because trust

me they look at everything not just the

stuff they're buying people make

assumptions about you when you have your

house on the market and you don't want

something as simple as cleaning up to be

something that changes a buyer's

impression of the value of your home so

clean your home and then clean it again

one of the best things you can spend a

little bit of money on is paint paint is

so cheap compared to other Home

Improvement projects and it makes a huge

difference if buyers are looking at your

home online and every room is a

different color it's really jarring for

them and darker rooms aren't going to

let light move around

which makes the space feel smaller and

it makes the whole home feel dark this

room I'm painting it before I sell for

sure I like this color for me but when

it comes time to sell I'm going to put

probably four or five coats of white on

these walls to get this room brightened

up again I know I'm going to have to do

that and you should take the same care

as well when it comes time to paint

please take your time by good quality

paint spend the extra money on good

brushes and make sure that you prep the

area so you're not damaging anything

else by spilling on it or creating

unsightly lines that aren't crisp and

straight people notice these things and

it really disturbs the eye paint makes a

huge difference it'll create a modern

feel it brightens things up and again

it's not a huge investment so consider

doing it before you sell your home

something really simple that you can do

to improve the value of your home

without spending much money is to look

at ways to brighten the interior spaces

now this can be really simple I'm not

talking about installing pot lighting it

could be as simple as trimming back

foliage outside a window on the inside

if there's heavy drapes those can really

block a lot of light people love

California shutters but they actually

cut a lot of the light that's trying to

get into the room so sometimes they're

better left open when it comes to the

actual lighting fixtures you can look at

upgrading to higher wattages and the

bulbs swapping them out for LEDs or

sometimes it's worth spending a few

hundred on a nicer chandelier for key

locations like the front entrance or

over your dining room table you can get

some great deals online and you don't

have to break your budget to do this so

find ways to brighten the home more

modern lighting fixtures are going to

make the house feel more modern in

general so you could consider upgrading

a few things and in general just try to

make sure that everywhere people go it

never feels dark because that's going to

really turn people off so you're making

all kinds of improvements to your home

you've cleaned you've decluttered you've

painted you've brightened and changed

light fixtures things are looking really

good and you have a few things

strategically that you plan to do in

addition to these things to improve the

value of your home here's my number one

tip have a budget and stick to it I've

seen so many instances where I came in

and I helped someone make a really great

strategic plan to improve the value of

their home and I came back a month later

to see that they' done all these extra

things that were outside the scope of

our original strategy most of these

things might not have the same return on

investment that the stuff that you

planned out with your realtor are going

to bring to the table when it's time to

sell the home so don't get creative

don't start adding stuff stuff stick to

the plan keep it simple and keep your

money in your pocket you can always

spend that money on your next home when

you get there please stick to your

budget so maybe you're not selling right

away but you're watching this video

because you're about to do some Renos

and you want to make sure that you don't

make any mistakes here's my bonus tip as

you're starting have a vision for what

the entire property is going to feel

like when it's finished and then stick

to it essentially I'm saying begin with

the end in mind when it comes to

finishes what we want to make sure you

don't do is install different finishes

or different colors in every single room

because it's going to be really hard for

people to walk through and have any

sense that it was intentional instead

you want to keep the same flooring the

same color scheme and things like

handles and Hardware consistent

throughout the entire property it's easy

to do if you plan in advance and

sometimes you just have to work around

it like if you're doing flooring maybe

just suck it up and do the whole floor

at once this will make a huge difference

because your space will feel intentional

and buyers will really be impressed with

the level of care that you put into the

Renault and they don't need to know that

you did it over time thanks so much for

watching if these tips were useful to

you please like And subscribe to our

channel so that you don't miss anything

else that we have coming up and as

always if you have a Move On Your

Horizon grab the link in the description

to get in touch with me I'd love to hear

about your plans and offer any insight I

can I'm Sean P and we'll catch you on

the next video