Thinking About Selling? These 5 Home Improvements Will Add the Most Value
If you’re a homeowner considering putting your house on the market, you’re probably wondering how to get the highest possible return. The good news? You don’t need a full renovation to make a big impact. Strategic updates—especially in key areas—can significantly increase your home’s value and appeal to potential buyers.
Here are the top 5 improvements that typically deliver the most value before selling:
1. Kitchen Refresh or Remodel
Why it matters: The kitchen is often considered the heart of the home—and buyers agree. An updated kitchen can make or break a sale.
What to do:
Repaint or refinish cabinets and countertops for a modern look.
Replace outdated hardware, faucets, and light fixtures.
Consider stainless steel appliances if yours are dated or mismatched.
ROI: A minor kitchen remodel can recoup 70–80% of its cost, and often more in hot markets.
2. Bathroom Upgrades
Why it matters: Buyers want clean, functional, and modern bathrooms. Even small improvements can make a big difference.
What to do:
Re-caulk tubs, showers, and sinks.
Replace old vanities, mirrors, and light fixtures.
Install new faucets and towel bars for a fresh, cohesive look.
Ensure plumbing and ventilation are in good working order.
Paint a dated, colored cast iron tub or sink white
ROI: Midrange bathroom updates typically recoup 60–70% of their cost.
3. Curb Appeal Enhancements
Why it matters: First impressions count. Buyers often form an opinion before they even step inside.
What to do:
Paint or replace the front door.
Clean up landscaping, trim bushes, and plant seasonal flowers.
Power-wash the exterior, walkways, and driveway.
Fix cracked concrete or damaged siding.
ROI: Basic landscaping and exterior upgrades can return 100% or more in perceived value.
4. Fresh Interior Paint
Why it matters: A fresh coat of paint is one of the most cost-effective ways to give your home a clean, updated look.
What to do:
Use neutral, light colors to appeal to the widest range of buyers.
Paint over bold or personalized colors that might turn off buyers.
Don’t forget to touch up baseboards, trim, and ceilings.
ROI: Painting can yield a 100%+ return, especially when covering outdated or damaged surfaces.
5. Flooring Updates
Why it matters: Old carpet, scratched hardwood, or outdated tile can drag down your home’s appeal.
What to do:
Replace worn carpet with midrange options or consider luxury vinyl plank (LVP), which is affordable, stylish, and durable.
Refinish hardwood floors rather than replacing them.
Fix squeaks, stains, and loose boards.
ROI: Flooring updates can deliver 70–80% ROI and drastically improve the overall feel of the home.
Bonus Tip: Declutter and Stage Smartly
Beyond physical improvements, a clean and well-staged home can help buyers envision themselves living there. Remove excess furniture, personal items, and clutter to make spaces feel larger and more inviting.
Every market is different, so it’s a smart idea to talk with a local real estate professional before making major upgrades. But generally, these five improvements offer some of the best bang for your buck. A few smart investments can lead to a quicker sale—and a higher price.
Ready to make your move? Start with a plan, prioritize these upgrades, and you’ll be well on your way to a successful sale.
It’s surprising how often it happens, but sometimes a property just doesn’t attract buyers. Sellers may frequently ask, “Why isn’t my property selling?”. It’s important to remember that this occurs even with experienced agents and desirable homes. Fortunately, there are many potential reasons a property remains unsold, and it’s not always solely about the list price. Before resorting to a significant price drop, consider these other possible challenges and their potential solutions.
1. Suboptimal Property Characteristics
Research indicates that a substantial portion (approximately 60%) of owner-occupied residences in the United States were constructed before 1980. Certain regions have an even higher average age for homes; for instance the majority of homes built in cities like New Lisbon were built before 1970. Many of these older dwellings may lack features that are currently favored by buyers, such as generously sized bedrooms, a master bathroom, higher ceilings, multiple bathrooms, or multi-car garages. These factors can deter potential buyers from even scheduling a visit. Interestingly, sometimes newer properties built with basic materials can be more challenging to market than older homes that possess unique architectural details.
Possible Solutions:
To identify issues, I assess the property from the perspective of a modern buyer. Determine which of its attributes might be considered outdated. In some instances, sellers can address these issues through minor updates or renovations. If homeowners are unable or unwilling to modify certain problematic features, I can propose alternative strategies, such as a price reduction or offering a buyer incentive to offset the specific drawback.
2. Obvious Deficiencies in Condition
If a property appears to require significant upkeep, many prospective buyers will avoid it. Accumulating minor maintenance needs, like peeling paint, a neglected yard, or worn flooring, can be discouraging. More substantial and noticeable problems, such as unusual property layouts or outdated plumbing and electrical systems, can significantly hinder the selling process. In extreme situations, these issues can even make it difficult for buyers to secure financing.
Possible Solutions:
I would identify and clearly explain how specific deficiencies can impede a sale and offer recommendations for repairs, renovations, and property staging.
3. Inappropriate Pricing or Excessive Costs
Another frequent cause of properties not selling is simply financial: the price. Setting an excessively high price can deter potential buyers and result in a listing that remains on the market for an extended period without generating interest. Conversely, sellers and agents sometimes fail to adequately consider supplementary costs when determining the property’s price, such as homeowner association (HOA) dues, mortgage interest rates, and closing expenses. These factors influence a buyer’s affordability and, consequently, the property’s attractiveness.
Possible Solutions:
Given that most buyers carefully evaluate their potential monthly housing expenses, explore ways to adjust the price or suggest solutions to make payments more manageable. If the current interest rates are a deterrent the seller can offer a credit to the buyer to “buy down” their interest rate, meaning they will prepay interest to get a permanent rate reduction.
4. Real Estate Market Dynamics
When dealing with a property that isn’t selling, it’s essential to analyze the prevailing real estate market conditions. Various market factors can affect the sale of a home, including an oversupply of properties (a buyer’s market), economic downturns, and seasonal variations. Furthermore, local market influences can diminish the appeal of individual properties, such as the absence of convenient access to quality schools, changes in nearby businesses or industries, or even ongoing construction in the vicinity.
Possible Solutions:
Unfortunately, neither sellers nor agents can control the overall real estate market. However, gaining a deeper understanding of market trends and adopting a flexible approach is crucial. While overcoming a challenging market entirely may not be possible, you can improve the likelihood of a sale by adjusting pricing strategies, enhancing the property’s presentation, or employing creative property descriptions.
5. Inadequate Communication
Communication, though fundamental, is a significant factor in why properties fail to sell. Both the listing agent and the seller share responsibility for maintaining open and honest communication regarding the property, their expectations, concerns, and inquiries. When important details or questions are left unresolved or unaddressed, the property may be marketed ineffectively, leading to a lack of buyer interest or offers.
Possible Solutions:
Ideally, I initiate the selling process with a comprehensive presentation that sets the stage for a successful transaction so the seller knows what to expect or forsee as potential problems.
This presentation should include a market overview, staging advice, a comparative market analysis, and a clear explanation of the marketing plan.
It should also facilitate an open dialogue about the property’s condition, potential obstacles, and how to interpret feedback from marketing efforts, showings, and buyer agents.
6. Ineffective Marketing Strategies
When there are no apparent issues with the property itself or the broader real estate market, homeowners are more inclined to wonder, “Why isn’t my property generating interest?” If a property isn’t attracting sufficient attention, the marketing approach may not be as effective as it could be. It’s important to remember that even highly skilled and experienced agents can encounter this situation. Often, a minor adjustment or refinement can make a substantial difference.
Possible Solutions:
If I suspect a problem with the property’s marketing, I begin by evaluating the process as if I were a buyer’s agent searching for a similar property. If the listing appears correctly, I consider modifications to the descriptive text to boost terms used in search engines or exploring additional strategies to increase its visibility. For example, try incorporating more descriptive language into the listing description, revaluating the possible target market, or re-editing short-form videos for social media platforms
7. Poor-Quality Property Photography
Although property photography is a component of marketing, it warrants separate consideration due to its significant influence on whether a property sells. Listing photos serve as the primary point of interaction between potential buyers and the property, and inadequate photos can often cause buyers to dismiss a listing without further consideration. Photos should be high-resolution, well-lit, and captured from optimal angles. This professional presentation conveys a sense of cleanliness, freshness, and move-in readiness.
Possible Solutions:
If the seller used an agent that didn’t use a professional camera and digital editing the initial listing photos may end up subpar. Investing in a professional photographer to reshoot the property or utilizing virtual staging tools can be worthwhile . Decluttering rooms and the year to avoid including images that depict cluttered spaces, busy streets, utility lines, small or unkempt yards, or any other elements are worthwhile to improve buyers interest.
8. Property Staging and Exterior Presentation
If a property isn’t selling despite addressing the more obvious factors (price, market conditions, property quality), it may be time to concentrate on its visual appeal. Real estate data suggests that staged homes can increase the amount of money offered. While staging and landscaping don’t alter the property’s fundamental value, they can significantly enhance its attractiveness and potentially influence the final sale price.
Possible Solutions:
There are various ways to improve a property’s exterior presentation and interior staging.
Hiring a professional stager can yield the most effective results, though it can be costly.
Implementing simple staging techniques, such as decluttering and incorporating mirrors, can make a notable difference.
Similarly, basic landscaping improvements, like pruning bushes and adding container plants, can substantially enhance curb appeal.
It’s amazing what a little bit of paint can do to transform a dated kitchen! It was such an inexpensive transformation. All it took was a quart of paint and a couple of hours of labor. I’m going to pat myself on the back here because it was my suggestion. I sold the owner the home about a year ago. I stopped in this week to catch up with her and she showed me all the improvements she made. When we got to the kitchen she asked me my opinion on the cabinets as she was thinking of painting everything.
This kitchen has 1970’s style cabinets. Originally they were mostly white but with some light wood trim accents which gives it that dated look. All the appliances are black and the stone countertop has black flecks in it as well as having black cabinet hardware. So it was an easy suggestion to paint that wood trim black. The whole look changed from the dated 70’s to a modern black and white trend.
I love to chat with clients who are working through remodeling. Feel free to reach out to me if you want to bounce some ideas around on a project you are working on. I’ve been in hundreds of homes and have seen some pretty clever ideas to handle all sorts of issues. Paint tends to be the cheapest and easiest fix to dated bathroom fixtures, wood paneling, and kitchen countertops and cabinets. It certainly beats the expense of complete replacements if you don’t plan on staying in the home for a long time.
This bathroom is an amazing transfomation from what it was! The original room was tiny in size, just the toilet and a sink in about a 4’x4′ space. The owners managed to find space by removing old chimneys, taking some space out of a closet and opening up some dead space in the walls.
While they managed to find the space to put all the fixtures in there, there was little room for storage. The door in the right corner leads to the basement stairs, not a closet. So they cleverly installed a Murphy door that incorporated shelving into the door structure (that green shelving is part of the door). Yes, that shelf swings open to a bedroom on the other side. What a great use of space and adding storage!
I’ve said it before, paint is a miracle worker. I have been spending a lot of time looking in Habitat ReStores, Goodwill and St. Vinny’s for some replacement kitchen cabinets. The short story is we had a small kitchen fire and I have 2 cabinets with fire damage. Our cabinets are 1980’s style honey oak with recessed door features. These were so common in the 80’s but today it’s going to require someone to custom make replacements so I figured I’ll look for used ones that have been donated. I’ve gotten very close but not quite the right sizes yet.
Anyway, I’ve also found some really good bargains. The hutch pictured is one of my recent purchases. This was a handmade piece built out of solid pine. Very well constructed but I’m not a fan of the forest green and it wasn’t going to look great against my barn red dining room walls. I bought the hutch at the Mauston Habitat ReStore along with a gallon of smoky slate paint. I was planning on using the paint only as a primer and then finishing it off in another color but the color really works so well that I just left it.
My total cost for the project was just $85. If you are looking for some inexpensive paint I suggest checking out the Habitat ReStore. Plus most of the furniture they have is in excellent shape. A bit of paint, new hardware or even a slipcover is all it takes to transform them to an updated look.
Pet Owners – Luxury Vinyl Planks is the perfect flooring for your home! It’s waterproof, resistant to surface damage and it’s easy to clean. I have 2 dogs that love to go swimming in the creek on our property and then roll around the yard. When they come in they leave puddles of water and sand.
All but 2 rooms in our home have the original, wide plank, pine floors. This soft wood has been easy to clean but easy to dent and scratch. I’ve been looking for a plank finish that would match the knotty, yellow, pine floors, honey oak trim and the weathered, grey, barn board siding throughout our home. Not easy to blend all theses colors thanks to the strong “gray” palette trends the last few years. I finally found a style that combines all three of the colors.
If you own a decent table saw, you can easily install this flooring yourself. The planks have a tongue and groove like system that clicks into place. If your floors aren’t even or perfectly flat there will be some challenges but it still works. The planks also come with the underlayer built in so it installs on top of the subfloor or over old, vinyl flooring without additional steps. There is no adhesive required either. After it is all laid out with a 1/4″ space around the edge of the room, you will need to install some molding strips to keep it secure.
It’s amazing what a simple coat of paint can do to transform the look of a room. It’s hard to convey to first time homebuyers how easy it can be to transform a dark, dingy looking fireplace into something beautiful. Yes, it does take a little bit of “elbow grease” to get the job done but it’s an affordable option that makes a huge impact. The puppy certainly makes a great addition too!
Our Dining Room, probably on the last day it was clean, not cluttered. We remodeled it at least 10 years ago in order to address 2 issues we had. The first was the plumbing for the upstairs lies in the ceiling over the dining room. We had a few leaks over the years which always resulted in cutting holes in the drywall to access the water lines. The second issue was an outdated, popcorn-textured ceiling that made repairing the drywall very difficult.
So we removed the ceiling, replaced all the plumbing lines and installed tin panel sheets for the ceiling instead of drywall. This will allow us in the future to remove a single panel to reach any plumbing and then replace the panel easily. There are several options available for ceiling tiles. While we opted for actual tin there are some made of lightweight vinyl. There are options that can replace old fiber, drop down ceiling panels or ones that can be directly nailed over an existing popcorn ceiling. Great options if you are looking to update an ugly ceiling.
As a side note, you may notice the barn door hardware. Our dining room has 2 double door entrances one of which had doors that were left open all the time. Those doors always seemed to be in the way so we decided to remove them and re-hang them using antique barn door hardware from one our barn buildings. Bill Morris did a fantastic job rebuilding the rollers and mounting the doors. I highly recommend him for building and remodeling work if you need a construction guy.
Liz Walker Real Estate 