11. Caulk your shower or tub
The caulk in your shower or tub provides an important barrier against water damage in your home. If allowed to seep behind waterproof finish materials, water can reach the wood framing and subfloor materials in your bathroom and lead to mold and rot. Here’s your step-by-step guide to caulking your shower or tub.
12. Upgrade your toilet
If your toilet takes too long to flush, needs cosmetic repairs, or gets clogged frequently, consider upgrading to a water-saving, low-flush toilet: this type of toilet uses less than two gallons of water per flush, saving you money on your monthly water bills, and can be installed in under two hours. Consider updating your toilet and other systems with Ferguson products.
13. Install low-emissivity windows
Low-emissivity (low-E) windows can reduce energy costs by 12%–33%, making them one of the most energy efficient options for homeowners. Here’s what you need to know to determine if low-E windows are right for your home.
14. Clean your air vents
Seeing dust and grime on air vents can immediately turn a prospective buyer away. Use a hand vacuum to remove dust from your air vents and finish by wiping them down with a damp microfiber cloth. While you’re at it, consider changing your air filter—this will prolong the life of your HVAC system, reduce airborne contaminants, and lower monthly energy bills.
15. Shampoo your carpets
Shampooing your carpets extends the life of your carpets and gives you a much deeper clean than vacuuming. Before you shampoo, remove furniture from the room, vacuum the entire area, and spot treat stains. Allow four to six hours for your carpets to dry.
16. Sweep leaves off the porch
Though minor, this task will take less than 15 minutes and will leave your home’s entrance looking spotless. It’ll also bump up your curb appeal too.
17. Scrub your bathroom sinks
Set aside one hour to remove all grime and dirt from your bathroom sinks. It may seem like a basic maintenance task, but it will make your bathrooms seem that much more pristine when buyers tour your house.
18. Declutter your entryway table
People don’t want to see loose change and random items strewn about when they first enter your home. When decluttering your house, remember to organize smaller areas like your foyer entryway table and powder room.
19. Paint your home’s exterior
Lisa Larsen, managing director at Benchmark Specialist Property Managers, says, “Painting the outside of the house can be incredibly effective in increasing your home’s resale value. If you have an older-style brick home, consider getting the front rendered. This will make it look decades younger—after all, first impressions count!”
20. Paint your front door
Don’t underestimate the power your front door has on first impressions. Paint your front door a bold red or go for traditional black or white if exciting colors aren’t your style.
21. Organize your closet
According to Allison at Warburg Realty, “Clean, edited closets, kitchens, and bathrooms that aren’t overflowing with stuff allow people to truly see what makes your home special and [allows them to] take in the space (which can be hard when you’re seeing multiple homes.”
22. Purge the front hall closet
Since you’re already in the midst of organizing closets, remember to address your front hall/coat closet. This is one of the first doors home buyers typically open when they enter a home (and usually one that reveals the most clutter). Keep this closet plain and simple: store a couple of jackets and a few cleaning supplies like a broom and a dust pan.
23. Trim trees and overgrown bushes
Old and weak branches can be a safety hazard and make your trees appear less appealing. Set aside a couple of hours this weekend to trim aging or decaying tree branches.
24. Wash your windows
If you’re looking for an extremely fast way to increase resale value this weekend, clean your windows to give them additional shine. Here are two of our favorite eco-friendly ways to clean glass.
25. Pressure wash your home’s exterior
If you don’t want to paint your entire home, pressure washing your home’s exterior is one of the most noticeable ways to improve curb appeal and increase resale value. Though you can hire a professional pressure washing service to clean the outside of your house, most pressure washers can be rented for $50–$100 per day.
26. Pressure wash your driveway
While you have that pressure washer on hand, remove oil stains and dirt buildup from your driveway and brick pavers.
27. Pressure wash your roof
When people think about small changes they can do to improve resale value, they often neglect to consider areas like the roof. However, this part of your home is one of the first things people see when they pull up to your home.
According to Chris Martin, owner of DJL Services, a family-owned pressure cleaning business, “An old moss-covered roof looks old and with that comes concerns about how durable and safe it is. After a quick, cost-effective high pressure clean, it’s now looking years younger and this simple task adds thousands to the resale price of the home.”