There are some things that most home sellers instinctively know will probably add perceived value to their Waterloo Region home in the eyes of potential buyers.
A great lot position, a nice sized garden, stainless steel appliances, the fairly obvious stuff. But there are some things that are very appealing to many homebuyers – which increases their perceived value of the home – that you may not have realized have quite an impact.
Here’s just five of them:
The Right Fences
A home that is ‘fenced in’ will, in most suburban residential neighbourhoods, be able to command a slightly higher asking price than one that is not, as long as it is the right type.
Chain link fences are not a boon – in fact, many consider them an eyesore – but a classic picket fence – it doesn’t have to be white – is something people will ohh and ahh over from the curb, which can only be a very good thing.
Walk-In Closet
A walk-in closet is another of those ‘dream features’ for many homebuyers, so when they come across one they tend to get rather excited. Don’t have one? Creating one may be simpler – and less expensive – than you think (as this post explains) and it really will add value to your home, as well as be rather nice to use while you are still living in the home yourself.
Mudroom
The concept of the mudroom is one that took a while to catch on, but now that it has for many busy households having one is almost a must.
The idea of a dedicated space for the storage of all those awkward, bulky coats, shoes, boots and the like is very appealing to many people and if the space is customized space with cubbies, lockers, and other clever storage solutions it is likely to really wow potential buyers.
Smart Tech
While it might not be as cool as a custom walk-in closet, a sprinkler system, a higher-end programmable thermostat, built in whole house fan or other green-tech extra can still be attractive features for your home’s next owner.
It’s all thanks to the general movement toward increasing energy efficiency and a couple of recent builders studies actually found that more than 60% of the potential Canadian homebuyers surveyed would be willing to go up to $7,000 extra up on their intended home buying budget if the tech in place could save them $750- $1,000 a year in energy bills.
And here’s a fun fact; installing a Nest style thermometer can potentially do that all by itself, and those, on average, cost as little as $200.
Mature Trees
If you have larger, mature trees in your backyard even they can add to the perceived value of your home. It is not just for aesthetic reasons either. In the minds of many buyers, the privacy they add is a real boon, and some are even savvy enough to know that trees can help cut energy costs too.