How to Decide Whether To Renovate Your Home Before Selling

When you’re selling your home (or considering putting it on the market), you’re already going to have a thousand decisions to make and plenty of work to do without even considering renovations on your home. But renovations are an important consideration, and it’s worth taking a few minutes to think through whether they would benefit your home sale. There are several important questions you can ask yourself to help make the right decision. 

How Much Time and Money Do I Have? 

While it may seem basic, start by considering your timeline. If you’ve been unexpectedly swept into a new job opportunity in a different city, you may not have very much time left living in your home to oversee projects, for example. And if your budget is tight, that can also be a reason to just stick with selling your home as-is. But if your timeline and budget allow it, then you should further consider renovations for your home. 

Which Rooms Need Renovation? 

Perhaps the two most attention-grabbing rooms in any home for potential buyers are the kitchen and the bathroom(s), and they’re followed by renovations such as new fireplaces. So if your kitchen and bathrooms are in great condition already, it might be best to save yourself the time and money of renovating any further. 

Are Homes Being Sold Renovated? 

Another consideration is whether home renovations are evident in the homes currently being sold in your area. All it takes is a few minutes on a good real estate website to determine the condition of the homes that buyers are willing to take and what kinds of renovations are (or are not) present in them. 

What Is the Market Like Right Now? 

Finally, consider the kind of real estate market you’re selling in overall. If it’s more of a seller’s market, renovations (though potentially still valuable) will be less necessary, while in a buyer’s market you might have to work harder to impress the house hunters. 

Home renovations can be expensive and even dangerous, so if you do decide they’re right for your situation, be sure to hire the professionals you need to get the job done right.