Sparkle Your Way Into Spring

Sparkle your way into Spring:

We all know, when it comes to selling your home, a little extra sparkle goes along way.  Focusing on small, DIY renovations to add that extra wow factor is a great way to add value to your home, but not break the bank. These quick, and easy DIY renovations glam up your home and spring you forward so you’re ready to list. At the same time, there are some bigger renovations that can increase the value of your home, and even create more interest around your listing.

If you’re thinking of listing this spring, taking the time to get a few simple touch-ups done inside your home beforehand will add value for you in the long run. If you’re trying to think of what could possibly be quick and easy, as a DIY renovation, don’t fret, we’ve got a few tips, and suggestions of projects you could do, or you can find your own inspiration through blog posts, and Pinterest.

Quick & Easy DIY’s:

  • Repaint
    • A fresh coat of paint is a quick way to brighten up any room in your home. Ensure your home has neutral colours, as an unusual colour may limit your home’s appeal.
    • Ensure any scuffs in ceiling paint are touched up. Scuffs and chips give a worn down impression. This DIY is quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive!
    • Trim: touch up the trim in each room to add class, and light into the room. Ensure the trim in each room is fully finished, and repair/replace pieces that are incorrectly measured, or damaged.
  • Replace
    • Old, and mismatched doorknobs should be replaced with new, matching doorknobs to give a calm unity to even the smallest of details in your home.
    • Cupboard door handles that don’t match
    • Light switches, and outlets need to have covers on, and ensure that they are the same colour/style.
    • Light fixtures that are dated need to be replaced. If it’s 15 years old and looks it, it’s definitely time to update!
    • Replace the front door! Open up the entrance to your home with a fresh front door. Replace interior doors that are faded or worn, to create an bright, open feel.
  • Re-caulk
    • A quick bathroom facelift can be as simple as re-caulking around the tub, shower, sink, and vanity. It’s faster than spending hours trying to have your old caulking looking like new, and gives the bathroom an extra shine!
  • Reorganize
    • Rearrange your garage/tool shed to look bright, and open. Garages are an added bonus to a property, so ensuring your garage maximizes its’ potential by looking clean, and big. The more storage space, the better. 

Renovations & Updates

Kitchens:

You talk there, you laugh there, you eat there, and you share there. Your kitchen is always one of the most important rooms in your home, so in preparation to list your home, it should come as no surprise that the kitchen is an important room in the eyes of a prospective buyer. Although it sounds like a larger investment, it is predicted that homeowners receive a 60%-120% recovery on kitchen renovations in the sale of their home.  So what is something that can be done to brighten and uplift your kitchen, while staying on budget, and adding value? Although it sounds complicated, there are some simple kitchen renovations that can be done, for a reasonable price that can greatly increase the value of your home.

  • Refinish your cabinets:
    • Nothing says kitchen facelift like refinishing your cabinets.
  • Add a backsplash
    • Create a sense of elegance and style in your new kitchen with a backsplash. Backsplashes can be individualized to one wall, just behind the stove, or anywhere that can add a bit of extra light and sparkle.
  • Put down fresh tiles
    • Brighten up the room with a fresh floor. White/ light tiles will enhance the natural lighting in your kitchen, while darker tiles, or hardwood/laminate will emphasize the warmth of the room.
  • Modernize your faucet
    • Add sophistication to your modern kitchen with a bronze, or black faucet and sink.
  • Repaint the space
  • Open up the space
    • The more space a home can provide, the more time people can spend with family, and friends. Open up the walls in your kitchen to create an open-concept kitchen/dining room or remove a section of wall to add the sense of open concept with a “window”.
  • Redo counter tops
    • If your old countertops are chipped and stained, it’s definitely time for a facelift. Modernize your kitchen with a fresh countertop, be it granite, stone, marble, or wooden – find the countertop that best exemplifies your space.

Bathrooms:

Everyone’s most dreaded moment is discovering a “bad” or dated bathroom in a home they thought they’d love. Increase the value of your home by giving your bathroom a quick renovation. Bathroom renovations don’t need to be a full replacement, just an update of faucets, vanities, and décor. If you’re wanting to go all in, you can even replace your existing shower and/or tub, or add a second bathroom if your home only has one. It is predicted that there is an 80%-130% recovery on bathroom renovations when the homeowner has added a second bathroom. Don't go for a costly renovation, when you can create a gleaming new look with a fresh coat of white paint, or new ceramic tiles and lighting. Replace your shower curtain with a neutral coloured curtain, and a simple new vanity set and bath mat. Adding fresh or fake flowers during a showing will give your bathroom that extra sparkle with a little work.