Real estate improvements that payoff

Some improvements to property will help for short term turn around while others cost your profit because they don’t necessarily add value to the home.

A good way of remembering what you should and should not ‘improve’ on a home before selling is using the "L’s"

Lawns - This is the first thing a potential buyer sees.  Be sure it fits with the image of the home and is clean and well developed.  Don’t fall prey to the myth that it must cost a fortune.

Living - Living space is the essence of the house.  Keep decor and paint neutral with up-to-date fixtures but not contemporary.  Cleanliness is a must.

Leverage - Don’t give the house away.  Know what you have and continue to add value to the home.  Don’t install a pool, Italian flooring, and skylights.  They may be nice, but they won’t return their investments.

Luxury - Stay away from luxury items unless you can get them at a discount.  For instance, your countertops costing $5,000 isn’t going to raise the value of your home that much.  But a good $1,000 counter to replace an outdated or damaged counter will not cost you $2,000 in your sale price.

Keep it simple.  You want the house to be livable and ‘lovely’.  Ok, enough with the L words.  Go sell you a house!

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