The home design pendulum has definitely swung!
Just a few years back, buyers overwhelming wanted homes with a warm feel. The trend was natural wood cabinets, natural granite counter tops with interesting patterns in the stone and warm earth tones on the walls with exposed natural stone and brick. Today ALL of these old favorites scream your home is dated – especially with Millennial buyers. In particular, Millennials favor homes with cooler tones in fifty shades of gray or white on white, solid counters (no busy grains), painted cabinets as well as painted brick and stone.
So what do you do to make your house more appealing without spending thousands of dollars to update a home you want to sell? The best advice I can give you, is consult with a real estate agent BEFORE you spend a dime! Too many times, sellers think they know what buyers want based on what THEY WANT. They end up making updates that add no value or appeal and neglect the small things that need to be done to sell their home. I offer this service free of charge. I recently sold a home that the owners tried selling themselves, then listed with another agent and had over 30 showings but no offers. After consulting with me, they made the changes, I suggested spending under $1,000, and we had a contract within the first month! Please call me at 760.799.1810, before you make changes!
Following is a list of 10 inexpensive changes that often have big impact: 1. change out ALL dated hardware on cabinets (look for hardware for less than $2 each) 2. change out ALL dated lighting fixtures inside and out – look for bargain fixtures at your local home improvement stores $100 or less – RESIST the temptation to purchase more expensive fixtures, think builder special, look at model homes 3. make sure ALL your light bulbs have the same light hue/color and your kitchen appliances ALL match – no mixing of stainless, black or white 4. use a cabinet painting kit and do it yourself 5. paint colors that MUST go – any dark saturated color in red, green or brown tones, sage green, mustard gold (reminiscent of Tuscan-it is out), beige carmel tones 6. remove ALL heavy formal curtains with sheers and valances and replace with inexpensive linen look curtain panels in white, gray or natural linen 7. put a fresh coat of paint or stain on your front door and plant colorful annuals in pots and/or beds to accent the entry way to your home 8. wash windows inside and out 9. power wash and remove ALL dead plants and weeds 10. remove clutter – you are moving so start packing and neatly store the boxes in your garage. Call me today for a free consultation at 760.799.1810 or visit my website to search for properties in Baldwin and Mobile counties and see the trends at merrileenestande.com. #staging #budgetdesign #budgethomedecorupdates #jwre #merrileenestande #mobilearearealestate #jwremobile #baldwincountyalabamarealestate #coastalalabamarealestate