Talk to a remodeler before selling your home.

A home remodeler can help you determine if home improvements can help you sell your home.

If you're considering the sale of your home don't call the real estate agent just yet. It might make better sense to call your home remodeler first! Making some updates before listing your home can make it more attractive to buyers, getting you a better price and providing you with tax advantages that can help you to see more of a profit.

Today, younger buyers are making up a large portion of the market. Making your home more “millennial-friendly” when you decide to sell can help you appeal to this market and if you make a few improvements before you list, might even get you a better profit!

Before you list, consult with your home remodeler about which renovations will provide the biggest return on your investment. Your realtor is also a great source of information. They can tell you about your homes current value, the market and the comps in your neighborhood. Based on this information, you can make an educated decision about how much work you'll need.

Smart Renovations For Maximum Value

Depending on your home's current value and comparable prices for homes like yours, you may need to do little more than cosmetic updates, or you may need to engage the services of a home remodeler for more extensive work. Today, buyers who are looking for a new home are often younger and may not have the money for major renovation when they first move in. As a result, they're going to be looking for updates like updated and functional kitchens and baths since they will be living with them for several years before they can undertake a remodel.

Kitchen and Bathroom

By putting some money toward a kitchen and bathroom remodel, you can attract more buyers to your property. Not only that, kitchen and bathroom updates can recoup much of their cost when your home sells. A 2016 Remodeling Magazine report showed that homeowners received $11,769 more for their homes on average if they remodeled that bathroom and as much as $38,938 more on average for an updated kitchen.

Open Floor Plan

Today's buyers are attracted to large open spaces with fewer walls and partitions. Creating an open floor plan is actually an affordable renovation that can be undertaken as part of a kitchen update. Having your home remodeler open up the space by removing a wall or two to open the kitchen to the rest of the living space can be extremely attractive to buyers. Removing walls can be an easy and cost-effective remodeling project unless there are hidden considerations like plumbing or electrical that will need to be relocated. Speak with your home remodeler about the possibilities and costs of opening up your home's floor plan.

Pro tip: Don't forget that removing a wall will require re-doing your flooring. Plan ahead!

Home Office Space

Creating a space that can function as a home office is another easy renovation that will appeal to younger buyers. While many do work away from the home, they value having a dedicated workspace at home for finishing up projects and maintaining the household. Creating a space for a home office is an affordable addition that can increase your selling price!

Pro tip: Look for a creative way to sneak in an office. You might be surprised at the results!

Even Small Changes Can Pay Off Big

If your kitchen and bathroom are in decent shape, or if your home is comparable in value to others in your neighborhood even small changes can add value and help your home to sell faster. Replacing or refinishing your flooring and painting the walls are quick, inexpensive ways to give your home a new look. These simple changes can add up to roughly a 15% increase in your asking price.

Paint color is important. Shades of gray are in right now; stay away from beige. When it comes to painting, hire a professional for the best results. If you have carpeted floors replace them with a new, sturdy, builder-grade carpet in a neutral color that doesn't compete with the wall color. Most buyers do however prefer hardwood floors. If you have hardwood under the carpet, it may make more sense to refinish them to bring them back to life, and add value!

Custom Home Design Madison WI-2.jpg — This front door is not an inexpensive steel door, but when you see the transformed home, you will understand how the front door sets the tone of the entire house. See the project page for a video tour of our work.

Replacing your front door with a new steel door can return 101.8% on your investment! It will also add to your home's curb appeal. The same goes for your garage door. Putting in a new one will spruce up the look of your home and offer you an 88% return on your investment.

Even simple updates in the kitchen and bath can increase your asking price and offer a great return. Simple fixes in the kitchen like new cabinet and drawer pulls, painting or refacing older cabinets and installing sleek modern lighting fixtures are all inexpensive upgrades that can impress buyers.

The bottom line, simple updates to your home can add to its value and increase your asking price. Remember, today's buyers are looking for updated kitchens and baths, solid infrastructure and curb appeal. Before you list your home, speak with your realtor and discuss the benefits of performing some basic upgrades. Then call your home remodeler. Updating your home before you sell doesn't have to cost a fortune. Simple changes and updates can bring you a higher asking price, and help you to sell your home faster!

This article was updated by Abe Degnan on 6/25/2018.

About Degnan Design Build Remodel
Since 1981 Degnan Design Build Remodel has provided home improvement and construction services to customers throughout Greater Madison, Wisconsin. Our goal is to WOW you with a "Designed For Your Life" solution using a process that will transform your home into a beautiful living space, delivered on time, and on budget. We are known for our communication, respectfulness, and a commitment to our customers and our community. Contact us to speak with one of our designers about your home improvement project.

An Above the Garage Master Suite Addition Remodeling Project

We recently completed an addition for our clients, John and Amy, a professional couple with young children living in the Blooming Meadows neighborhood in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Their home featured three bedrooms on the second floor. The existing master bedroom was outdated and impractical for modern living, and with three young children, two needed to share one of the two remaining bedrooms, and all three kids shared the second-floor bathroom. Another problem the family needed addressed was that John needed a private home office, and the one they currently had was a shared space that did not work well for his job.

Let's take a look at our creative solution for this young family!

A New Private Bathroom for the Adults!

One of the major elements on John and Amy's wish list was a private bathroom space just for them. They wanted plenty of space to get ready in the morning, away from the kids, and we delivered! The bathroom features a handcrafted Amish custom double vanity with a tower cabinet in alder wood, stained Carbon Gray. The contrasting Linnstone Quartz Calcutta pattern countertop brightens the space and ties in visually with the elegant tile work in the spacious walk-in shower. We added custom alder wood framed mirrors stained in the same Carbon Gray as the cabinets to complete the vanity. Over each of the mirrors, we installed Quoizel 2 light vanity fixtures to provide plenty of warm light.

In the shower, the 21st Century Tile 12x24 floor-to-ceiling tiles in Tivoli Silver give the room a bright and modern feel, and the low entry shower makes entering the shower safe and easy for the couple. We included a helpful niche in the shower for shampoo and other toiletries and, for contrast, used a beautiful hexagon mosaic accent tile. The glass doors give the space an open feel, making it bright and inviting. The Arbor Hills luxury vinyl plank flooring in timber adds a warm feel, giving the room a natural look with the benefit of waterproof LVP.

The Result

The final result of this second-floor master suite addition is a home that fits John, Amy, and the kid's needs and lifestyle perfectly. John now has the perfect private office space. Since John and Amy now have their private master suite, and each of the kids has their own bedroom giving them their own space to grow as they grow, their home is more comfortable and functional. And on the exterior, you can't even tell there's been an addition!

Are you considering an addition or other home improvement project? Let us help you design the perfect finished space! If you live in the Greater Madison area, call the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at (608) 846-5963. We can take your home to the next level of comfort, design, and function! Ready to learn more? We're always happy to answer your questions.