7 Tips for Increasing Property Value Before Selling
Discover proven strategies to maximize your property's value before putting it on the market. This comprehensive guide offers expert-backed tips that can significantly boost your home's appeal and selling price. From strategic renovations to smart staging techniques, learn how to make impactful changes that resonate with potential buyers.
- Stage Your Home for a Lasting Impression
- Update Flooring to Boost Property Value
- Renovate Kitchen for Maximum Return
- Add Garden Room for Versatile Living Space
- Address Potential Buyer Objections First
- Convert Underused Space to Functional Areas
- Install Motorized Shades for Instant Appeal
Stage Your Home for a Lasting Impression
This is where staging plays a major role in preparing your home for the market. As cliché as it may sound, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Make it count!
Let's start with curb appeal. It's the first thing buyers see, and it often dictates whether they'll even step inside. If the yard looks neglected, it sends the message that the rest of the home has been neglected too. On the other hand, a well-kept lawn, fresh paint, and a welcoming entry set the tone for what's to come.
Now, for the inside, focus on the kitchen! Why? Because kitchens sell homes. Period! Often, you don't need a complete renovation. Simple updates, such as modern hardware, backsplash, lighting (specifically light bulbs), and a clean, clutter-free space, can go a long way. In this one project, we advised the seller to add sleek matte black cabinet pulls and paint the cabinets in a creamy neutral color. This gave the home an instant elevated feel and it went under contract in just 11 days, and for over the asking price. Small changes equal big returns. "The investment in staging is always less than a price reduction."
Update Flooring to Boost Property Value
Hello, I'm Levi Winkler, flooring expert and owner of Rejuvenation Floor & Design, a leading flooring company in Portland, Oregon. We specialize in sales, installation, and restoration.
As a flooring expert, one of the most impactful pieces of advice I give homeowners looking to boost their property value before selling is to update the flooring. It's one of the first things buyers notice and can make or break that first impression.
If your budget allows, replacing worn carpet or outdated tile with durable, modern flooring like luxury vinyl (LVP) or engineered hardwood offers an excellent return on investment. These options are not only stylish and in demand but also practical and low-maintenance.
Another tip: If your home has radiant floor heating, highlight it! It's a major comfort and energy efficiency upgrade that many buyers love but don't expect. Pairing it with smart thermostats and sleek flooring can help your home stand out in the market.
I hope this helps! If you'd like to know more about my company, have a look here:
https://www.rejuvenationfd.com/
Best,
Levi
Renovate Kitchen for Maximum Return
The kitchen consistently delivers the highest return on investment when it comes to home improvements. With an average lifespan of about 25 years, it plays a pivotal role in both function and aesthetics. It truly sets the tone for the entire home. If the kitchen is outdated or poorly laid out, it can negatively impact the perception of the whole space. This is an important discussion I have with prospective homeowners contemplating a renovation.
I always advise clients to renovate their kitchen about 5-7 years before they plan to sell. This timing allows homeowners to enjoy the benefits of a beautiful, functional kitchen while still maximizing resale value.
One client recently shared this feedback:
"Due to the outstanding interior design work you did, I was able to sell at a premium—$160K over the next highest-priced home in the neighborhood. From the day I listed it, there was tremendous interest. People instantly fell in love the moment they walked in."
Add Garden Room for Versatile Living Space
When it comes to preparing your property for sale, homeowners often ask which renovations offer the best return on investment. While kitchens and bathrooms have long been considered key focal points, one highly effective and often overlooked improvement is adding a garden room to your backyard.
A garden room is a stylish, self-contained structure separate from the main house. It serves as a versatile space that appeals to modern homeowners' changing lifestyles. In today's market, potential buyers increasingly seek homes that offer more than just traditional living spaces.
From a financial perspective, a high-quality garden room can add substantial value to your property. Recent industry data suggests that adding a well-designed studio can increase the value of a home by up to 5-15%, depending on the location, quality of construction, and how well the space integrates with the overall property. This means a garden room isn't just an attractive feature; it's a strategic investment that delivers both lifestyle benefits and financial returns.
One of the biggest advantages of a garden room is that it offers a separate, private space that enhances the functionality of the home without the need for major internal renovations. While extending the house or converting a loft might involve months of disruption and extensive permissions, a garden room is generally quicker to install and often does not require complex permits.
Moreover, in the era of remote work and hybrid schedules, having a dedicated office space that's physically removed from the distractions of the main house has become a highly desirable feature. Buyers appreciate the flexibility a garden room offers, whether it's a quiet work-from-home environment, a private gym, a creative studio, or simply a luxurious retreat for relaxation. This adaptability significantly broadens the appeal of the property to a wider range of prospective buyers.
It's important to note that for the best return on investment, the design and quality of the garden room should reflect the high standards of the main property. A poorly constructed or cheap-looking structure can have the opposite effect. Opt for professional installation, use quality materials, and integrate thoughtful design elements such as premium cladding, ample natural light, and seamless garden access. Landscaping around the garden room also plays a key role in creating a cohesive and inviting outdoor space.
Address Potential Buyer Objections First
What's one piece of advice you would give to homeowners looking to increase the value of their property before selling?
Focus less on what's trendy and more on addressing potential objections. Before a buyer can fall in love with a home, they need to stop worrying about what's wrong with it — and the easiest way to raise perceived value is by eliminating reasons for hesitation: old systems, damaged surfaces, poor lighting. I tell sellers all the time, don't start with the kitchen backsplash — begin with the furnace if it's 30 years old.
One of our properties sat for weeks although it had up-to-date finishes — just because the water heater looked so old. We fixed it up and received two offers by the following weekend. It's exactly the sort of real-world return that you can't always quantify in a spreadsheet, but it plays out with clear consequences in buyer psychology.
What renovations or improvements offer the best return on investment?
Buyers are guided by their senses and their calculators. The biggest return on your investment typically comes from upgrades that address both: curb appeal and major mechanical systems. Fresh exterior paint, modern lighting, and landscaping can make a home feel newer even before they open the door — while the latest in HVAC, roofing, or plumbing assures buyers that their first few years won't be plagued by expensive surprises.
I've watched small houses sell quicker and for more because they felt well-maintained. We used to own a home where we paid $6,000 to have the basement sealed, despite having no real flood — just a hint of musty air and some discolored walls. That one change completely transformed the showing experience. Buyers opened the floor plan and didn't get a red flag, and everything else, from layout to location, was easier to fall in love with.
Convert Underused Space to Functional Areas
What's one piece of advice you would give to homeowners looking to increase the value of their property before selling?
I always suggest you do a localized ROI audit before listing a property — check out what comparable homes in your zip code sold for in reality after improvements, not just what agents are promising. One powerful (and often overlooked) weapon in the arsenal is to convert underused square footage — say, an attic, the garage, or the basement — into functional living space. This isn't as sexy as a kitchen renovation, but in many cases, it adds more appraised value per dollar spent.
For instance, we had sellers in Charlotte with a storage shed in the form of a detached garage. We aided them in transforming it into a heavily insulated studio space with a half bath. It cost less than $20,000 but added $45,000 to the appraisal and gave the listing a point of difference as an opportunity for dual living in a market flooded with stock-standard homes.
The trick is to emphasize the features that people who live in a home will come to see as essential and downplay cosmetic upgrades that follow trends. In other words: not just a new paint color — but even a rethink of the space.
What renovations or improvements offer the best return on investment?
The best return on investment is typically found in what I like to call "utility upgrades with lifestyle appeal." These are the kinds of changes that make a home work better and feel better. Energy-efficient HVAC systems, tankless water heaters, and smart home integrations — these aren't just buzzwords. They're future-proofing measures that leave buyers feeling as though they're moving into a home that's one step ahead.
But, if forced to choose just one, it's: enhance outdoor living areas. Decks and patios, or even just defined seating areas that provide some shade, can create an emotional anchor for buyers. A couple in Nashville I worked with installed a $7,500 pergola on their deck with a modest, built-in grill. That one touch got them three offers above asking in the first week. It wasn't the world's most upscale renovation, but it made the property feel lived in — in fact, loved.
Install Motorized Shades for Instant Appeal
If you want a high-impact upgrade that pays for itself at closing, consider installing motorized exterior shades or solar screens before you list your home. Buyers love the idea of tapping a button to turn a hot patio into a cool outdoor room, and the shades immediately signal lower utility bills and year-round comfort. In our market, we regularly see homes appraise $15,000 to $25,000 higher when a full shade package is in place, even though a typical system costs far less to install. The secret is that the shades solve three problems at once: they cut glare and heat inside, they create usable outdoor square footage, and they add a polished, high-tech look to the facade. Unlike a kitchen remodel that might divide opinions on finishes, a retractable shade system feels like a universal upgrade that every buyer can appreciate on day one.
