To Get Top Dollar, Remodeling to

Preparing a house to sell, especially to "sell my house myself," is something lots of people are thinking these days. But what, beyond staging can you do? Well, if you're willing to put in some time and a little money, here are a few tips on what the buying market is looking for and what you can maybe do to attract more of that market's interest.

This is about being able to advertise the things buyers want that your home may not have right now. More money in your pocket is the goal. So, here are 4 simple projects that, if listed in your ads and fliers, will attract more buyers and produce a higher property value. There are others of course, but when you're advertising, the more of these 4 your house has, the better.

A FENCED YARD
Lack of a fenced yard is a deal breaker to some. Look in your classifieds for "used fence materials" or "discount fence materials" or search these terms adding "your town" (ie. used fence materials topica ks). A six-foot cedar fence is easy to build, offers privacy and you don't have to treat it. If you now have an old, grey wood fence, grab your hammer and pressure washer and block out a weekend. A new cedar fence (about $12 per linear ft.) is an easy, fun project two people could do in a week of evenings.  Keep that "I want to sell my house myself" attitude, and you'll make money.

A SECOND BATHROOM OR HALF BATH
Is your single bathroom one that has wasted space, a separate shower and bathtub or is next to something that can be altered? Perhaps you can create a half bath, guest bath or even another full bathroom without increasing the home's footprint! A "bath and a half" is so much better than "one bath." If you see room to build, get your tape measure and draw a floor plan of what's there now, preferably on blue-line graph paper. Then, make copies, sketch your idea on one and go talk to someone in the bath department of a big box.

A BEAUTIFUL MASTER BEDROOM
If you don't have a knock-out Master bedroom, you should. Even if yours doesn't have its own bath, you can still do many things to increase the value. A "sell my house myself" mindset is about staging, decorating and remodeling smartly. Its money in your pocket if you can make a potential buying couple smile at each other when they step in to your master bedroom. The idea here is to remodel with paint, area rugs, lighting and fabrics. Browse through "beautiful bedrooms" in Google Images, keep it simple and have fun!

A GREAT KITCHEN
Turn your kitchen into the room that really "sells" your home. A few weekends and a very small amount of cash could change everything. Good quality (even used) appliances (available in CraigsList, salvage companies and used appliance stores), new tile or laminate floor and painting the cabinets may be all you need. Search "great kitchens" in Google Images and see what might fit into your budget.

The idea is to get as much money as you can out of your property. Before doing anything, though, talk to a few real estate agents about your particular location, as you don't want to overdo for your neighborhood. But, it might be wise to think about how many of the above could be profitable projects. For free information and doable ideas go to RemodelQuickTips.com and click on REMODEL TO SELL in the navigator list on the left.