by Ingrid Weir

Today’s real estate market is a dream if you’re looking to buy a new home, which is great if you’re a renter or buying your first home. However, how are you supposed to compete in this market if you need to sell your current home? What should you look for in your new home?

First, take a moment to consider how you think as a buyer. When you go to buy your new home, what is an immediate turn on… and what immediately turns you off to a home? Chances are, your buyers are going to be thinking along very similar lines, as well.

By appealing to your potential buyer’s sense of style, comfort, environmental responsibility, and fiscal sensibility, you have the ability to set your home apart from the rest.

These are five simple things you can do to increase the value of your home to potential buyers!

1. Flooring

I’m sure you have walked into a home that might have been beautiful in 1978 or 1985, but in this day and age, the avocado green or pink plush carpeting, linoleum that curls up at the edges, or stick down vinyl floors completely destroy your ability to think about placing your beautiful furnishings in that room. The idea of having to change out flooring to your potential buyer is daunting to say the least, but you can do it fairly easily and change the entire vibe of the space.

The most important things to remember when choosing your new flooring are neutrality and durability. Think about using eco friendly or sustainable flooring materials such as recycled flooring, carpeting made from natural fibers, bamboo, natural linoleum, or eucalyptus among others. This will help increase your marketability as a “green” home… and bonus, it might bring you some good karma for doing your part to help save the planet!

2. Electric Radiant Floor Heating

When replacing your floors, why not add a zoned, energy efficient electric radiant floor heating system? Since this is a relatively new concept in the United States, not only will this help to set your home apart from the others on the market because of the feel of luxury and novelty of it, an energy efficient, zoned heating system adds another “green” feature to your home.

There are electric radiant floor heating systems available for under all types of flooring including bamboo, wood, carpeting, tile, and even your shower among others. Look for a company that will customize the system according to your floor plan and individual heating and electrical needs. Make sure the system is UL listed, complies with your flooring manufacturer guidelines, is energy efficient, offers damage detection, has no electromagnetic radiation (EMR/EMF), and will not raise your floor level. Also, make sure that the thermostat is GFCI protected, UL listed, and ENERGY STAR® compliant.

3. New Plumbing Fixtures

This is another simple fix that can make a huge difference in your home! While you can go all out with this if you want to, you can make a kitchen or bath look like a new room with the right plumbing fixtures.

Replace old styles with new, clean, classic, neutral styles. While you are at it, put in low flow showerheads, toilets, and faucets. If the water heater is old and out-dated, consider replacing it with a tankless water heater or another energy-efficient model. These are simple changes that either a licensed plumber or you can make for very little money and effort in many cases!

4. Faux Finish Walls to Hide Imperfections

So, your walls may not be perfect, and you really do not feel like going through the time and expense of completely redoing them, right? Well, try a faux finish! Faux finishes add character to your walls, and the textures can help to hide imperfections, too.

If you do not feel comfortable doing this yourself, Google a professional in your area. Make sure you take a look at their portfolio, and check into what kind of brushes and paint they will be using. A good brush and paint can be the difference between a beautiful job and shoddy work with even the most talented artist.

5. Finish Your Basement

Capitalize on that extra space you have down there. Why waste that space by leaving it for the spiders, dust, and your junk to sit? This does not have to be as difficult of a job as you might think. Simply put in a drop ceiling or the like, throw up some sheetrock, a little paint, some flooring, and voila, no more wasted space!

Ok, so it might take a little bit more effort than that, but not much, and do you have any idea how much easier it is to sell a home with a finished basement than one without?

Now, I know what you’re thinking, but I would have to put in duct work and have my forced air heating and a/c system reconfigured to work in the basement, too… and even with that, we know that it’s nearly impossible to heat a basement with the same system as in your home upstairs.

So, what can you do? This is where you would use under floor heating or a portable area rug heater and a portable air conditioner. When choosing your systems, make sure that you contact someone who you can trust to help you consider all factors.

Make sure that when you are picking out your portable air conditioner that it is energy efficient, operates quietly, and will cool your area effectively. You will also want to decide whether you want an evaporative system where the water evaporates into the air or a system with an exhaust that you have to empty.

So, as you can see, there are many ideas to help you increase the value of your home if you are looking to sell before jumping into the exciting buyer’s market that we have right now. These are just a few that are sure to make a big impact. If you are still looking for ideas, just take a look around at some open houses, make sure you pick a real estate agent who knows your area and has a proven track record, and ask her or his opinion for some more ideas.

This is an exciting time in the real estate market! There are so many opportunities out there that were not available when the market was bloated just a few years ago. Enjoy it!