The Best Upgrades You Can Make to Sell Your Home

You don’t have to completely renovate or remodel your home before you put it on the market. Minor upgrades, like investing in curb appeal, get you a higher return on investment.

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Should you work on major renovations or completely remodel your home before you put it on the market? I would say no. Minor upgrades actually get you a higher return on your investment than major renovations do.

The main reason minor upgrades net you more money is that huge construction projects always end up costing more money than you think they will. They also tend to take a lot longer than expected due to problems like scheduling conflicts.

The best place to spend money on your home is on the exterior. When buyers pull up to look at your home, those first 15 seconds are crucial. Your home should look as magical as Disney World. Make sure the lawn is freshly manicured and fertilized. Put down fresh mulch and invest in bright, colorful landscaping. Pull all of the weeds, too.

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Curb appeal helps sell homes.

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As for your house, make sure the windows are crystal clear. Paint your front door and power wash the house if necessary. Putting money into curb appeal will help your home make a great first impression on potential buyers. Many home sellers skip this step, so investing in curb appeal will also set you apart from the competition.

Research also shows that increasing the curb appeal of your home returns the most value for your money. Ultimately, curb appeal is what helps get buyers inside the house.

If you have any other questions about preparing your home for the market or about real estate in general, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you.

Watch Out for These Extra Costs After Closing

When buying a home, there are a few hidden costs you should look out for after closing. These include property taxes, utility bills, and home furnishings.

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Buying a home is not just limited to the money that you’ll have to spend up front in the form of closing costs or a down payment; you’ll have to spend money after this point, too.

For example, you’ll have to pay property taxes. These taxes may be figured into your mortgage or you may pay them at the end of the year, but you’ll have to be prepared for them.

Another cost to keep an eye out for is your utility bills. Be sure to budget for your water and electricity bills as well as homeowners association fees, if applicable. Also, your home may run on propane or a private sewer system, so you’ll want to make sure you’re covered for those costs as well.

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Keep an eye out for property taxes and utility bills.

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An expert agent will be able to advise you on all of the different associated costs that come with homeownership and make sure you’re prepared to handle them before you make an offer on a house. You’ll also need to factor in some of the furnishings that you’ll need to purchase before you can move into the house. These can include simple things like window treatments or can be more major items that are necessary to make your family comfortable in your new home. Be prepared for these hidden costs when buying your next home and you’ll avoid unwanted financial surprises down the road. If you have any other questions about the buying process or anything else related to real estate in Kansas City, give me a call or send me an email. I’d be glad to help you!

Targeting Millennial Home Buyers

Attracting millennial home buyers means knowing what
they want in a home—like environmentally friendly features—and
knowing where to place your advertising.

Want to sell your Kansas City Home? Get a home value report here 

Want to buy a Kansas City home? Search all homes for sale here

How can you reach millennial home buyers?

You can start by finding your home’s best angle. While baby boomers might want a two-car garage, a large kitchen, and an extra storage space, millennials have their own wish list. According to the National Association of Realtors, millennials are looking for something way different than their parents are. Some of the main things they want are single-story homes, open floor plans (or split floor plans for the square footage they offer), media rooms, and hardwood or tile floors.

The neighborhood they live in matters just as much or more than the house they buy, and they’re looking to meet a specific need. This need can be living in an area where a lot of other families their age live, living close to where they work, or living close to a shopping center.

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Millennials want modern
 and green-friendly homes.

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If your home has environmentally friendly features, don’t hesitate to showcase them. It’s no secret that this generation is environmentally conscious, so they’re going to be looking for a home that has green-friendly features.

Modern homes are also popular with the millennials. Your house doesn’t have to be brand new or designed by a minimalist architect, but some simple staging before an open house could be all you need to capture this desire and bring in an offer.

As far as reaching out goes, you can target online advertising to find younger home buyers. You’ll have to place your ads where they will be seen, and that’s mostly online. Sites like Facebook are where they will be looking at neighborhoods.

If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to discuss, please text us or give us a phone call. We look forward to hearing from you!