Thinking about moving? Or, maybe you're still enjoying your home and want to spruce it up in ways that future buyers will enjoy too! Zillow's Home Trends expert Amanda Pendleton has some insight into what today's buyers want, along with tips for easy DIYs inside and out that are worth your time and money. Paint colors, outdoor fixes, kitchens and bathrooms and more—if you love Zillow surfing as much as we do, you'll *love* this episode.
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Easy DIY Tips from Zillow to Boost Your Home’s Value
Prioritize projects that’ll make your home clean, safe and functional
- Replace old carpeting
- Fix broken fences
- Think about a mid-range bathroom remodel (If you stick to modest finishes, you could see a dollar in $0.07 come back on every single dollar you put in)
Think about improving your outdoor space
- Start by landscaping: clean it all up
- Add functionality with outdoor path lighting or deck lighting
- Add a fun (and functional!) gathering space, like a firepit
*Zillow data shows these affordable features can boost your home sale price by 1% if you mention them in a listing description
Be strategic about paint colors! According to Zillow’s latest interior paint analysis . . .
- Home with light blue bathrooms can sell for nearly $4,700 more than expected
- Homes that have dark blue bedrooms can sell for nearly $1,500 more
Spruce up kitchen cabinets
- Update your knobs or poles with brass or matte black finishes
- Paint your cabinets using a charcoal or mid-tone gray color
- If it’s in your budget, swap out cabinet doors. A Shaker style cabinet door is a timeless design that can help your home sell for 1.7% more than similar homes
$0 Tip: Keep highlighting the right features in your listing description
- Certain features signal that a home is desirable and up to date. If you have modern farmhouse features (shiplap, a farmhouse sink, etc.) mention that in your listing description—your home could sell for as much as 2.4% more than similar homes
$0 Tip: Put a virtual tour and an interactive floorplan in your listing description (it’s free on Zillow!)
- Using your cell phone, you can capture a virtual 3D home tour
- Zillow listings with this feature receive 69% more reviews and 80% more saves than homes without one
May your home be place that has your heart.
May it be a place you love to wake up on a sunny Saturday morning
And a soft place to land on the hard days.
May your home be a physical place, but also one that lives in your heart,
A place you can take with you wherever you go.
Simplicity Tip of the Week
You don’t have to be thinking about moving to make your home nice. It’s a good excuse, but you can spruce up your home anytime!
Is there something Amanda talked about today that would be easy for you to do this summer? Make a plan and do it! Mark off a weekend and paint your trim, or change out your light fixtures, or spruce up the backyard.
If that project feels like too much, then take baby steps! You could spend one weekend getting supplies, and then doing your project next weekend. Sometimes dividing up the goal into two parts helps to trick your brain into thinking it’s easy. That’s what I do, anyway.
Get Emily’s New Book!Resources, Links, Mentions from This Episode
- Zillow website
- @zillowgonewild (a hilarious IG follow)
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