The Top 7 Portland Home Updates

Curb appeal improvements

First impressions matter. If the exterior of your home looks clean and inviting, it will put potential buyers in a positive frame of mind when they walk through the door. But often, first impressions happen before the open house. An eye-catching exterior will increase your digital curb appeal, making buyers more apt to click on your online listing.  

Curb appeal landscaping plays a critical role in getting your house sold. 75% of top real estate agents across the country agree that well-landscaped homes are worth up to 10% more than homes with no landscaping. So to improve your home’s curb appeal, you may want to:  

• Trim your trees, bushes, and other plants regularly, particularly since the frequent rains in Portland cause them to grow quickly
• Power-wash your driveway, walkways, and your home’s siding
• Stage a cozy seating area if you have a covered porch
• Address deferred maintenance such as damaged gutters or crooked shutters

These and other improvements can skyrocket the perceived value of your home and, in many cases, can also increase resale value.  

Painting

What’s another way to make your home more inviting inside and out? Paint! Popular colors in Portland include shades of white, greige (a mix of gray and beige), green, and sometimes black.  

To pick the right palette to sell your home, take cues from others in the neighborhood and discuss with your real estate agent which colors would be best to attract local buyers. Most likely, they’ll point you in the direction of neutral colors like those above since they have a more widespread appeal than unusual colors.  

Since Curbio also understands the Portland real estate market, if your Realtor® partners with us, we can provide insight into the best paint colors for selling your home. Not to mention that we can make quick work of your painting project to get the buyers lining up ASAP. And the best part? You won’t have to pay for the work until the house sells! 

Kitchen upgrades

Next up, let’s about one of the most strategic Portland home updates you can make: your kitchen. They’ve always been able to make or break home sales. But show-stopping kitchens are more crucial than ever for Portland homes. The city is a hotspot for millennial home buyers, and first-time buyers want updated kitchens. 

They want the modern, high-end feel of quartz or granite countertops, statement islands, and stainless steel appliances. They want a light and bright vibe, so white and light gray are popular color choices for kitchens.  

In addition to starting the conversation about paint colors, ask your Realtor® what kitchen upgrades will look nice and get you the highest return on investment. 

Bathroom refreshes

Unsurprisingly, upgraded kitchens aren’t the only thing Portland’s millennial buyers want – they also look for upgraded bathrooms.  

Bathrooms are no longer just about necessity. Buyers now look for luxurious soaker tubs, sleek, furniture-style vanities, quartz and granite countertops, and other modern touches.  

While the size of your bathrooms, your budget, and other factors will dictate what you can do in the way of upgrades, it’s worth looking for even small ways to add spa-like touches. And that includes staging your bathrooms to look like a relaxing retreat with plush towels, soft lighting, and accessories! 

Roof repair or replacement

Is your roof nearing the end of its lifespan? Has it been damaged by Portland’s heavy rains, winter winds, or pests like termites? In either case, roof repair or replacement would be a profitable pre-listing home improvement to make.  

Roof updates can accrue considerable expense, and most new homeowners don’t want the hassle of taking it on. So instead of leaving a damaged roof as-is and scaring potential buyers away, take care of it before you go to market. With Curbio, you won’t have to worry about the usual upfront costs of the work since you don’t pay a dime until closing.  

Yup, Really.

Basement finishing

If you have a basement, finishing it is one of the most valuable home improvements you can make in 2022 and beyond. Homes with finished basements tend to sell for above list price, and they can also generate more views from potential buyers. For instance, homes with this feature get an average of 2,400 views per listing on Redfin, the highest of Portland’s top 10 features.  

You want your home to have as much visibility as possible once it goes on the market. Finishing your basement in a way that is consistent with the design of the rest of your home could be the way to achieve that.  

Consider carrying through your flooring from other parts of your home and ensure you have plenty of lighting. What about furniture and the function of your basement? Unless your Realtor® has a specific recommendation based on what’s popular in the local market—for example, a bar or home theater—stick to simple staging so buyers can quickly adapt the space to their needs.  

Staging

Staging is one of the critical Portland home updates you can make, but for some reason it’s often overlooked or forgotten. More than 4,500 city employees — over 60% of the workforce — switched to working from home after the COVID-19 pandemic. With 100% remote and hybrid work so commonplace now, one of the savviest things you can do is stage a flex space in your home as an office. It can boost the appeal of your home significantly but, on the other hand, will still allow you to capture the interest of buyers who don’t need a home office.  

Curbio is here for Realtors® and their clients to make preparing homes for sale easy. We take on any home improvements necessary to get homes sold—and we wait until the house sells to be paid for our work. We don’t have any project minimums or maximums and don’t charge any interest or fees, giving you peace of mind, knowing you’re getting the best price for the home improvement work. Curbio is entirely turnkey, so you don’t have to lift a finger and can focus your energy on the upcoming life transition.  

Let Curbio tackle all of your pre-listing improvements to make your Portland listing shine! Get started by requesting a fast and free estimate today.