10 Small Home Improvements that Increase Value

In our recent survey, 68% of potential buyers said the biggest dealbreaker to buying a home is disrepair or wear and tear.¹ Before you go breaking out the sledgehammer and throwing on your safety goggles, you may want to rethink your home improvement strategy. Instead of doing a full-scale renovation, some simple updates may be all your home needs. 

Small Improvements to Increase Home Value 

Sometimes less is more. Every home needs some basic updates to help it become market-ready, and we found that minor updates have a 297% return on investment (ROI).¹ But, where should you begin? As a pay-at-closing pre-listing home improvement service, we are sharing some small home improvements that increase value and could help your home fly off the market. 

1. Deep Cleaning 

ROI: 935% ² 

When selling your home, appearance matters. A thorough and deep cleaning is a simple but necessary small home improvement to increase value. Cluttered and messy rooms can be distracting and keep buyers from seeing the home’s full potential. On the other hand, a clean home can welcome offers.  

2. Carpet Cleaning or Replacement 

ROI: 280% ¹ 

No buyer wants to get a home that has dirty or smelly carpet. Instead of letting your stained floor knock your home’s resale price. A small home improvement that adds value is to clean or replace the carpet before selling. This minor but significant update can have you walking away with a lot more money in your pocket at the closing table.  

3. Refinishing the Floors  

ROI: 348% ¹ 

Along with making sure your carpets are in order, you also want to ensure that the rest of your home’s flooring looks its best. While hardwood floors are typically valuable, scratched or visibly worn flooring won’t lead to as high a return as you may have hoped. To make the most of those precious hardwood floors, get them refinished before you list your home. It can be a small price to pay to have those hardwood floors looking like new.  

4. Painting  

ROI: 159% (exterior and interior) ¹ 

Another minor home improvement that adds value is a fresh coat of paint. Especially if your walls are noticeably chipped or sporting bright colors, a new and neutral coat of paint throughout the interior can go a long way in boosting your home’s value and getting buyers to make an offer. Don’t forget about the exterior. A quick paint job can drastically improve your home’s curb appeal and its first impression.  

5. Paint Detailing 

ROI: not enough research  

Painting the walls and ceilings may be obvious, but do not forget about the trim and molding. These areas can sometimes take the brunt of the wear and tear in the home so repainting them can provide a nice professional finish to a room.  

6. Deferred Maintenance 

ROI: 297% (electric updates specifically) ¹ 
While it can be tempting to push maintenance projects off your to-do list since you are selling anyway, it could be hurting the resale value of your home as well as turning potential buyers away. Instead, a few simple maintenance changes like minor electrical updates could have a great ROI. 

7. Staging 

ROI 574% (for 3% increase in home value) ³ 

After cleaning, decluttering, and making necessary repairs, the next small home improvement to increase home value is to get your home staged. Some simple staging can transform a dated room into a modern space with some wow factor. While it may seem expensive, staging increases sales price enough that it tends to be worth it.   

8. Landscaping 

ROI: 251% ¹ 

Landscaping is a small home improvement that can increase property value significantly. Simply mulching, weeding, trimming hedges, and raking leaves can drastically change how your home looks and draw buyers in.  

9. Hardware Swaps 

ROI: not enough research  

This simple update is one of the easiest small home improvement projects that increases home value. Instead of doing a full kitchen remodel before you sell or replacing all of your bathroom vanities, upgrading the hardware in these rooms can drastically transform the look of the space.   

10. Swap Lighting Fixtures 

ROI: not enough research 

Another simple but effective small home improvement project that increases home value is updating your light fixtures. Even just replacing an outdated chandelier sporting fluorescent lightbulbs with a more contemporary light fixture can change the entire aesthetic of a room. 

Selling your home as-is can mean leaving a lot of money on the table. Make the most of your home sale by implementing these small home improvements that increase value and also draw in buyers. 

You have enough on your plate; rather than trying to do these projects yourself, let us help. At Curbio, our basic listing prep package includes small updates like these to ensure that these projects are done right. Contact us to get connected with one of our partner real estate agents or speak with your agent about working with us. 

Sources: 

1. Curbio (2022). Preparing to Sell: 2022 Home Improvement Report 
2. Real Homes (2021). Selling your house? These two inexpensive home projects have a huge payoff 
3. Curbio (2023). Does Staging Increase Sales Prices & Is it Worth it?