8 Essential Pre-Listing Updates for Denver Homes

These are the 8 most popular (and most lucrative) updates to Denver homes

Staging

With more people working from home now than ever, offices are one of the most popular home features. So, if you have an office, make it as attractive as possible by clearing out clutter, getting organized, and ensuring ample lighting. Or, if you’ll have moved out before buyers begin touring your home, have an office staged. 

On a similar note, if you don’t have an office but have flex space such as an extra bedroom or a nook, have it staged to look like an office. You may be surprised how far this can go in helping potential buyers see that your home can accommodate their lifestyle and needs.

 

Landscape Design

One of many curb appeal improvements you can make, smart landscaping design can help sell your home faster, and at a price you’re happy with. But what does smart landscaping design involve for Denver homes specifically?

• Choosing sturdy, low-maintenance plants that can thrive in the local climate. These include Rocky Mountain Columbine, shrubs like Mountain Mahogany, and trees such as Douglas Fir and Colorado Blue Spruce. 
• Varying the height and placement of your plants. This can make for a more visually attractive design and add dimension to your yard. 
• Incorporate a mix of plant textures and shapes. Play around with textures from smooth-leafed to fuzzy and flower types from single petal layout to double. Like varying height and placement, this can also take your landscaping from boring to eye-catching. 

Bathroom Updates

What’s the value of bathroom updates? In the case of one painless Denver refresh we did, it took the home from an as-is value of $900,000 to a sale price of $935,000. The seller ultimately walked away with close to $18,000 in profit, thanks to a handful of strategic updates. In the bathroom specifically, we replaced the dated vanity with a modern one and installed luxury vinyl tile.

Updates like this—even though they’re not as extensive as a bathroom remodel—can get you similar results as can adding spa-like touches such as a soaker tub or reglazing your tub or shower tiles so that they look like new. 

Roof repair or replacement

As you know, Colorado generally gets more snowfall than most parts of the U.S. in the wintertime. One thing is for sure, whether you love the snow or hate it. It—or, more specifically, the freeze-thaw cycle—can cause issues with your roof. Like what?

When the moisture present in the air freezes, it goes from liquid to solid. If that moisture has made its way under your shingles or flashings, the expansion from freezing can loosen up or even crack those roofing materials. But that’s not all. 

Naturally, snow and sheets of ice melt as temperatures warm back up. This, too, can cause moisture to penetrate your roofing materials. The effect? One possibility is mold or mildew growth, which we’ll cover in more detail next. 

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if your roofing woes result from the freeze-thaw cycle, some other damage, or just old age. If you’re aware of issues, repair or roof replacement will likely be worth the investment. 

Mold remediation

Mold can be a sneaky problem and a major headache if left undetected or untreated for some time. That being the case, it’s one of many reasons we recommend having a pre-listing home inspection completed. 

If mold is present, a home inspector will be able to find it hidden behind walls, in your attic, or in other inconspicuous places that you can’t. As a result, you can address the issue before it appears in a potential buyer’s inspection report and causes problems. 

Have you had a plumbing leak? Or noticed water spots developing on your ceilings? Observations like these are reasons to have an inspection done and, if necessary, to invest in remediation.

Stone Veneer

Manufactured stone veneer is one of the top home improvements in Denver. At the beginning of 2022, it was turning local homeowners around 91% ROI. In addition to other exterior improvements like painting your house, installing a stone veneer can skyrocket its curb appeal. In turn, better curb appeal can earn you the interest of more buyers. And, of course, that’s a significant advantage, especially in this market. 

Garage door replacement

Garage door replacement is a simple and relatively cost-effective project and costs Denver homeowners anywhere from $2500 to $4500 to complete. Entering 2022, garage door replacements were delivering a 95% return on investment on average, the highest ROI out of the 20+ project types tracked.

If your garage door looks old and worn, doesn’t work correctly, or is visibly damaged, replacement is a smart idea. After all, it’s one of the first things potential buyers see so it must look good. Not to mention that it has to function as it should. Not only can getting a new garage door dramatically improve your home’s curb appeal, but it can also improve home security. Heightened security can be a significant selling point for buyers.

Kitchen upgrades

Your kitchen may be functional, but is it showing its age? If so, a handful of updates can make it more appealing to modern buyers. For example, you could:

• Replace dated countertops such as laminate with quartz or granite
• Update your cabinets by replacing the fronts with shaker-style panels and drawer fronts
• Install a new cooktop or oven range
• Install durable flooring such as luxury vinyl tile
• Paint (ideally with a neutral color such as white or light gray)

It’s worth discussing with your agent whether or not this would be a good option for you. And if so, you can ask your Realtor® about partnering with Curbio to complete the improvements.

Thanks to our home improvement model, many in the Denver area have sold their homes with zero hassle. You can do the same with Curbio’s help and unparalleled pre-listing home improvement expertise!