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Home & Garden

How to Invest $25,000 When Selling Your Home

We turned to Dallas real estate pros for advice.
By D Magazine |
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It’s in with the new and out with the old. so we asked top local real estate agents how you should invest $25,000 to get the most bang for your buck when your house goes on the market.

Depending on the house, I would recommend using the money for landscaping and an exterior refresh. Curb appeal makes a huge impact on a house. Fresh landscape and hardscape can make a house feel as though it’s had an entire makeover. People also want to enjoy a beautiful patio and outdoor living space in their backyard. Lush and sophisticated exteriors can bring your property a ton of value.
Richard Graziano, Mathews Nichols Group at Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Doing light cosmetic work like countertops, painting cabinets, changing hardware or faucets, and new flooring all help increase the value of your home at a minimal cost! The second thing is interior designing. It’s amazing when a house is decorated great how much more it can get on the open market. Apps like Pinterest and Houzz make it easy to kickstart your inner designer. Three great things about new interior design: It helps sell at a higher price; you get to enjoy the efforts you spend on furniture and art; and you get to take it all to your next house. It’s a win/win. 

If you’re going to spend money updating your home, spend the money in the areas of the house you’re most likely going to live in and enjoy—i.e. the master bathroom, den, kitchen, backyard, or outdoor living areas. These main spaces help increase the value of your home, and you get to enjoy it!
Aaron Carroll, Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Updating your kitchen and bathroom is a good place to start and generally yields a higher rate of return on your investment. Additional funds would be well spent to make the home more energy efficient. This includes upgrading mechanical items such as [moving] to a high-efficiency HVAC system and water heater and replacing old windows with double-paned glass.

Cosmetic work such as a fresh coat of paint and landscaping are items that don’t necessarily add value but do help make a better first impression.
Faisal Halum, Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

If I had $25,000, I think I would first make sure the first impression (the outside front drive-up and entry) is in tip-top shape! Clean and paint the front door and entrance, change out any dated front windows, add flowers, and just make sure everything looks well taken care of. Mow the yard! Freshen and repaint any interior rooms that are dark or worn. Any good neutral color will work. Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore and Snowbound by Sherwin Williams [are two favorites]. I would replace all the bedspreads and pillows with something new, fresh, and neutral—just a white bedspread or duvet cover with white pillows (or a pop of color—but not too much) makes a huge difference. You could throw new white towels in all the baths too. If there was money left, I would make sure that my bathroom and kitchen hardware was fresh and in style. 
Susan Baldwin, Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Completely de-clutter the house and rent a storage facility if necessary. Making sure that all of the systems are in good working order is a must. Then, freshly paint in neutral colors—most buyers today are looking for clean lines that are light and bright. Same with the outside paint. Drive-up is very important, as most buyers are looking online first, and the drive-up appeal is the first line of defense. Landscape planting is also important. It should be neat and well planned with some color, if possible.
Ginger Nobles, Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Have your home inspected by a licensed inspector (cost is about $500, $650 with a pool/spa). Second, check out your curb appeal. Update the landscaping and add seasonal color. Look for peeling or faded paint and any rotten wood and correct that. No cobwebs allowed! If you have a painted front door, the best color to paint it is black, with really good, high-gloss paint and updated hardware. When an agent is on your front porch opening a keybox, the buyers have nothing to look at but the door, and they’ll start to form an opinion before they walk through that door.

Are the baseboards and trim clean and scuff free? Are hardwoods dull or scratched? Is the carpet worn or soiled? If so, you need new carpet, painted trim, and refinished floors. Paint on the walls, in most cases, should be neutral. And add stainless steel appliances.
Ann Stewart, Ebby Halliday Realtors

Touch up all exterior maintenance: rotted wood, glaze on windows. Add fresh paint, and weather-stripping doors can neaten up an exterior. Replace any siding that shows signs of deterioration. Replace the garage door if it’s sagging or shows wear. 

Clean out the clutter; it pays dividends to minimalize. This also goes for the garage. Change light fixtures, especially if the decor is “early bordello.” It’s not expensive to do this. In the kitchen, refinish the cabinets and change out the hardware. Change oven and cook top if they’re more than 10 years old, depending on their condition—and the dishwasher if more than five years old.
Martha Morguloff, Ebby Halliday Realtors

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