Ways to Increase the Market Value of Your Home and Increase Your Chances of Making a Quick Sale:

• For the most part, keep room décor subtle and neutral; use select accessories to add color and pizzazz. The exceptions are dens and dining rooms – which can have more vibrant colors and more accessories
• Keep room décor uncluttered, with clean lines.
• When updating the bathroom, consider this; cast iron bathtubs can cost over $600. Steel tubs that look like cast iron and function about the same can cost less than $300.
• Installing a stone counter can increase the value of your home. If you want to save on the expense, install natural stone cut into 10 to 12-inch squares. Use grout in between tiles as you would when installing ceramic tiles. In addition to costing less than solid stone, individual squares can be replaced when damaged – instead of the whole counter.
• For the most part, moderate bathroom and kitchen renovations reap a higher ROI than more upscale remodels. The exception being if you live in an upscale neighborhood.
• When showing your home to a potential buyer, make sure room temperature is comfortable and that the interior is free from unpleasant odors. You want buyers to put focus on your home and what amenities it offers – not on how hot it is or how bad it smells.
• Two remodeling projects with curb appeal that repeatedly reward homeowners with high ROI and quicker sales are siding and windows. Landscaping efforts also offer high returns – often more than 100%.
• The return investment is usually greater when homeowners remain in their homes 5 years or more after home renovations, at a time when remodeling costs are higher. Unless, of course, renovations followed a trend that has since become outdated.
• While homes with pools usually go down in value slower than those without, installing a pool to enhance sale potential is a poor investment; one with very low recoup potential.
• When you over improve it is difficult to recover investment costs when selling; pay attention to your neighborhood norm. It is possible to boost your home worth so high that it is no longer marketable in the neighborhood in which you are living.
• De-cluttering your home makes it look more roomy and inviting. It is a cost-free way to enhance sales potential, and can even increase what buyers are willing to pay for it.
• A quick, effective way to increase evening curb appeal is to add landscape lights, or a decorative street lamp.
• If your yard lacks interest, consider constructing a retaining wall. Use railroad ties, bricks, or stones to construct a wall with old-world charm. One that compliments landscape design and the style of your home.

Red Flags that Scream “Do Not Hire”

As with any other type service provider – whether licensed or not – some contractors may not operate within the law.

The following should serve as red flags that the contractor might be less than reputable; certainly, less professional and reliable than what you might desire.

Avoid hiring a contractor who:

• Pressures you for a quick hiring decision
• Is not licensed, bonded and insured
• Requests that YOU obtain the required building permits
• Accepts only cash payments
• Solicits door-to-door
• Quotes a final price without seeing the job
• Offers only lifetime warranties (which are only as good as the life of the company)
• Requires a large down payment to buy materials
• Wants to use materials for your project, left over from another job
• Tells you your job will be a “demonstration”
• Requests complete payment upfront

Some states limit the amount of money contractors can request as down payment. Determine whether or not this is the case in your area by contacting the appropriate consumer agency.