Capital Improvements
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 But a good $1,000 counter to replace an outdated or damaged counter will not cost you $2,000 in your sale price.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!
Relevant Tags: home buying tips, home remodelling, real estate equity, real estate investing



