10 Ways to Earn Top Dollar for Your Home

If you were to list your house on the market today, how ready would it be? Many homeowners don't think about this question until they actually plan to sell their house. At that point, it becomes a rush to prep the house for the market - usually with only a few days or weeks with which to do so. The problem with this is you will often opt for the least expensive fixes or upgrades that may add little to no value - or decide to forgo it altogether to settle with however much value you can get for it in its current state.

What if you didn't do that? What if, as a homeowner, you asked yourself this question - not necessarily with the intent of putting your house on the market, but with the intent of maintaining and actually improving what is quite possibly your biggest asset? Can you imagine getting to actually enjoy the improvements you complete while simultaneously help your home achieve its maximum potential value with what the current market may be capable of producing?

It is also important to know that there is a distinction between home maintenance and home improvement. From the first day of purchase, you should be maintaining your home, but what does this mean? Here is a quick list of common maintenance items that homeowners should be completing:

1. Power washing the exterior to remove any dust, dirt, or algae that may have accumulated on the siding, driveway, walking paths, and patios.
2. Trimming foliage as needed and freshening up flower beds with new mulch.
3. Painting/Sealing all exterior wood trim around doors/windows.
4. Painting/Sealing wood decks/fences.
5. Sweeping accumulated debris from your roof and cleaning the gutters.
6. Changing the air filter in the HVAC system regularly and scheduling for a professional maintenance twice per year - make sure to document this!
7. Flushing out your water heater.
8. Repairing/replacing any worn flooring.
9. Monitoring and immediately repairing for any plumbing leaks.
10. Painting interior spaces as needed.

Home maintenance can only go so far though - to achieve maximum home value, it is important to also upgrade as needed! A house that can be dated to a specific decade will only capture so much value. Here is a quick list of common upgrades that can be completed for you to enjoy and be market ready when it comes time to sell:

1. Simple landscaping to add curb appeal
2. A new garage door
3. A new front entry door
4. Exterior/Interior light fixtures
5. New flooring - particularly wood, luxury vinyl planking (LVP), or laminate flooring
6. New bathroom vanities
7. Painting or replacing kitchen cabinets/countertops
8. New hardware on doors/kitchen cabinets
9. New faucets in kitchen/bathrooms
10. Adding a bedroom and/or bathroom - often in the lower level/basement space. 

This isn't an all-encompassing list and there certainly are other maintenance or upgrades that can be done, depending on your home. However, this is a good list to help get you started on the path towards ensuring you achieve top value for your home when the time comes. Remember - you never get a second chance to make a good first impression!