9 Small (But Mighty) Home Updates Agents Recommend Before Listing
From $10k to $150k—5 Curbio Pre-Listing Projects and the Results
The real estate market has bounced back and shows no signs of slowing. In nearly every major market, buyers are on the move, searching for the right home and willing to pay a premium. Realtors who partner with Curbio and help their sellers make smart pre-listing updates are seeing their clients achieve record-breaking profit increases.
In such a strong market, you might think that any renovation on a house would be a good one, but that’s not necessarily the case. After all, not all renovations are created equal. Sometimes smaller remodels and refreshes can provide the highest returns on investment. Renovations of any size done without Curbio’s pre-listing expertise can leave sellers spending more money than they recoup. According to Remodeling magazine’s 2020 Cost vs. Value Report, an annual survey comparing the cost and resale value of remodeling projects, very few renovations result in a positive net gain for sellers. But that’s not the case with Curbio. Because we focus specifically on updates that help Realtors and sellers list for the highest possible price, our clients after see a higher ROI.
No project is too big or too small for Curbio. If it will help the home sell quickly for the best possible price, then we’re up for the challenge. From painting and staging to major kitchen renovations, we’ll handle any repairs or updates to get your seller’s property ready for market. And the best part is that we defer 100% of the renovation costs until closing. There is no interest, no fees, no time limits—no catch. We get paid at the closing table. Since we all get paid at the same time, we’re on the same team, with the same goal—getting to market quickly and selling for the best possible price.
See for yourself with 5 Curbio renovations that range in price from $10k all the way up to almost $200k.
Fresh paint and flooring in Des Moines, Washington
AS-IS VALUE
$220,000
RENOVATIONS
$10,694
SALE PRICE
$277,500
PROFIT
$46,806
We worked with Coldwell Banker Bain agent, Gary Vanderhoff, to remove wallpaper, apply a fresh coat of paint and install new carpets throughout this home to get it move-in ready! After the updates, the home was under contract within a week, and sold for $50,000 more than its as-is value.
A simple refresh in Lithia Springs, Georgia
AS-IS VALUE
$132,000
RENOVATIONS
$15,004
SALE PRICE
$213,300
PROFIT
$66,296
This Curbio refresh goes to show that sometimes a little work can go a long way! We worked with Travis Stanley, a Metro Brokers agent, to help this home sell for much more than it would have if left as-is. With only $15k invested, we paired high-ROI renovations with materials buyers love to achieve $66k in profit for the sellers.
Elegant refresh in the heart of Washington, DC
AS-IS VALUE
$729,000
RENOVATIONS
$19,433
SALE PRICE
$853,000
PROFIT
$109,567
After mostly minor renovations, this home sold in 6 days for $63k over asking—and was featured on Urban Turf. With the renovation cost coming in just under $20k, the homeowners received an ROI of 538% and a profit of $105k!
How did we achieve such high returns? What we didn’t do is almost as important as what we did. In this case, much like many high-end homes, the home simply needed to be de-personalized rather than completely renovated.
For example, we re-glazed (rather than replaced) the existing tile in the bathroom to get a new look without the cost. We didn’t touch the kitchen, we didn’t replace any hardwood floors, and we didn’t touch the master bathroom because we didn’t need to.
So, what did we do to help this home sell for more, and faster?
- We painted the interior of the house
- We removed and replaced the carpeting
- We updated the bathroom
- Did some minor carpentry and other minor touchups
Impactful refresh in Heath, Texas
AS-IS VALUE
$350,000
RENOVATIONS
$37,325
SALE PRICE
$530,325
PROFIT
$142,675
Tina Wengender, a real estate agent with Ebby Halliday, was able to help her clients take home $140K in profit, after working with Curbio on pre-listing updates!
When it comes to high-end homes, the smallest changes can help move the sale along faster. For this home, we chose to paint the cabinets in the bathrooms and kitchen (instead of replacing them), to shrink the project timeline and cost. We made some other small updates to refresh the rest of the home as well.
The result? A fully transformed home that appeals to a broad set of buyers, after only $37K budgeted for renovations!
Gorgeous remodel in Potomac, Maryland
AS-IS VALUE
$1,000,000
RENOVATIONS
$158,863
SALE PRICE
$1,265,000
PROFIT
$106,137
Take a look at this beauty in Potomac, Maryland. It’s a big gorgeous house that needed updates to showcase its true potential. Dawn Pace of Compass knew exactly who to call. Curbio stepped in and made the following renovations to increase its value to what we believe will be as much as $250,000 dollars in increased house value. The house is presently on the market, so time will tell.
- Removed all wallpaper and painted the whole interior.
- Removed and replaced carpet on foyer stairs and landing, as well as all ceramic tile in kitchen, laundry and master bathroom.
- Renovated the entire Kitchen including replacing kitchen cabinets, all appliances, kitchen counters with granite counter tops and backsplash.
- Updated the bathroom on the 2nd floor.
- Demo’d and created a master bathroom with a free-standing soaking tub.
- Power washed the exterior of the house, repaired decking, landscaping etc.
From Fast Fixups to Whole-Home Makeovers
Our pay-at-closing model has no minimums or maximums, which means Realtors® can turn to Curbio to get all of their listings market-ready—no matter the scope or seller situation.