Spend a little time on landscaping. "Within the first 30 seconds, people are passing judgment on your house," says Dan Dunleavy, CEO of Fix to Flip. If you’re a do-it-yourself type, then this will cost you absolutely nothing for labor. A quick trip to Sears (SHLD) is a good place to start for landscaping tips. Hiring a landscape artist on, say, Craigslist might cost you $22 an hour and up. The payoff is a house that might be easier to sell.
GET BEAUTIFUL ON THE INSIDE
"Flooring, painting, carpeting and molding" are the first things you see when you walk through the door, says Dunleavy. It should be "eye candy," which means no carpet that predates the birth of its homeowner. Other rooms to modernize? The kitchen and the bathroom. "People want a bathroom that looks appealing," says Dunleavy. "They don’t want a stone age bathtub or sink." A contractor might hit your wallet "pretty hard" but there are websites, such as the Do It Yourself Network that can help you with your own home improvements. And even though a new toilet from Home Depot (HD) might cost you $149, the added value is real. "Bathrooms are a big deal," says Dunleavy.
STAY DRY
Mother nature's monsoons might be unpredictable, but a water leak is detectable. A water leak detection device can save you about 2% on insurance, if there is a monitor system in place. That’s a 30 year savings of $1200, for a detection device that costs around $600 to install. (Not to mention the savings you get from detecting and preventing water damage before it starts.)
Remember, reducing the amount you spend on your home, and increasing its value, means more money for essentials, like gas and groceries.
