Q: Hi Jo. I'm making some renovations to my house before putting it on the market. What should I do to maximize my investment? What should I stay away from? --Glen, Maryland
A: Cheers, Glen! Today, we're doing ROUND 2 of things to do to get top dollar from buyers...and things to stay far, far away from!
In The Bathroom...
Rule #1: Size matters! It suuuure does. If you've got a teeny tiny bathroom, putting in new large tile is going to make it feel even smaller. Make sure you choose a tile size that works with the size of the space. Small tiles can really open up a room.Rule #2: Get creative with your grout! Don't be afraid to branch out from plain beige grout when retiling. If you're going for a more industrial, modernist feel, try dark grout with white tile--it's very in right now. If you're going for something traditional and fresh, white is best, regardless of tile color.
Create Space...
Rule #3: Create space in your floor plan by installing pocket doors. Pocket doors are the slidey kind of doors that disappear into a compartment in the adjacent walls. Many homes--particularly Craftsman-style--have a lot of Jack and Jill type rooms; installing pocket doors allows for the creation of distinct spaces without sacrificing an open floor plan.Outside...
Rule #4: Don't waste your money on big-ticket items like repaving driveways and re-roofing (unless you really, really need to). Instead, focusing on some of the little things can translate into big bucks: re-sod the garden so that it's fresh and green. Install sprinklers. If you've got some extra money in the budget, plant a drought-tolerant garden with succulents and vegetables. We eastsiders love that!Flooring...
Rule #5: NO CARPET! GET RID OF IT! Carpet is high on most buyers' "Most Hated" lists. Rip out that carpet. If there's hardwood under there, you just won the remodeling lottery. If there isn't, install some. If you've only got the budget for cheaper laminate, fine, but test out that flooring first; walk on it in heels (or get someone with heels to do the dirty work) and see if it sounds plasticky. If it sounds rich, you're good to go!For more detail, check out my video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adY3I_V_23g
Thanks, Glen, and good luck! See you next week with more answers to your burning NELA real estate questions!
Got a real estate/neighborhood question? Email me at askjo@theokeygroup.com. Interested in seeing homes currently on the market in NELA? Check here: http://www.jorealestate.com/idx/search/
See you next week!