Common question I always receive as a real estate agent is what do I need to do to increase my property value.  I can give you a list of things that can increase it but thought I’d take a different approach and tell you mistakes you may be making that definitely kill resale value.  Don’t do the things on this list!!!  You’ve been warned!

• Forgetting to do regular maintenance.  Not keeping up on regular maintenance of your lawn, painting, roof, HVAC systems, appliances can have a negative affect on your resale value.  If you regularly maintain these items, it will be cheaper for you in the long run instead of waiting to get them fixed after your buyer’s home inspector finds them.
• Not addressing major issues.  This one is common sense, but if you have a leaking roof, fix it!  If you have structural issues or systems that aren’t working, these are all things that should be addressed before hitting the market if you want to get top dollar. 
• Outdated Kitchen and Bathrooms.  You could probably guess this one but yes, having an outdated kitchen and/or bathrooms (especially the primary one) will decrease your value.  Your home will be remembered as that one that had the outdated kitchen.  The reasoning behind this is that buyers are going to over-estimate what it’s going to cost to renovate and/or not want to hassle with a renovation.  If a full remodel is not in the budget, think about smaller, more cost-effective, updates you can make like switching out handles, painting cabinets, updating backsplash.
• Poor craftmanship.  I obviously have seen many homes in my career and can easily spot a poor flip job.  Uneven or unfinished baseboards, doors that don’t line up right, lots of floor transitions from room to room…  However, it is not just real estate agents that recognize this, even new or first time home buyers can recognize this and differentiate it from others.  This makes buyers feel uneasy and could result in lower offer prices.  
• Poor or lack of landscaping.  Curb appeal is so important!  Having no or very poor landscaping will immediately detract buyers and make them think less of the value of your home.  I recently did a post about increasing curb appeal that can help with this.
• Bad odors in your home.  If you have smoked in your home or have pets that have made messes that weren’t cleaned up properly, this will have a negative affect on your value.  Home owners often get used to some of these smells so if you wonder if your home smells, ask a trusted friend to come over and give you their opinion.  Or ask your real estate agent.  They should be honest and offer feedback on how to correct the issues.  There are ways to fix it!

It is worth mentioning that although this is a list of things that can be controlled by you as the home owner, there are many things that are outside of your control that affect your value.  These are things like location (proximity to power lines, busy streets, landfill, cemeteries…), sex offenders in the neighborhood, in a flood zone, the economy, interest rates, and the neighbor that doesn’t keep their house up.  These, again, are things you cannot change.  As a buyer of real estate, these are things to keep in mind when purchasing your next home.  I always recommend buying with resale in mind and this is exactly why.

If you have a specific questions about any of these topics, please feel free to reach out!!