Spring is making its way to the Alabama coast.
Most folks notice all the green and pastel colors popping up. Here at the beach, we notice all the vehicles loaded with vacation stuff on Gulf Shores Parkway, a very good thing. As a tourist town, we thrive on visitors. With the warmer weather, another season follows, real estate season {See Here}. It’s the time when many sell and purchase new homes.
With over 23 moves in my history, I can remember over half of those occurring in the first or last part of summer. This means that we both sold and purchased within the spring to early summer months. If you are in the market to buy or sell a home, I have lots of advice for you as I have been on both sides many, many times. In this post, I will address the Selling side.
One of the most important aspects of selling your home is to be able to receive as much value for it as possible without putting an excess of money back into the property that may not pay off in the end. There are several small steps you can take to increase the value of your home without a lot of time. One of those steps involves your front door, no kidding. A home’s entrance is crucial because it will be the first and often last impression left upon the buyer. If your entry door’s paint or stain is chipped or faded, a fresh new coat of paint or stain is an inexpensive way to increase value to your home.
Here is a list of what you may need and an estimate of the costs.
- A can of paint or stain $30 – $75
- Tape $5 – $10
- A spatula to clean $1 – $10
- Sanding paper $1- $10
- Paint brushes or rollers $5 – $20
- A roller pan $5 – $25
- Newspapers or plastic free – $10
A single day, from early morning to evening, is usually a good time frame to plan for this project. If the hardware of the door is tarnished, has a cracked surface, or is sticking, instead of replacing it, which can cost from $25 – $150, try this simple trick.
- Purchase a metallic spray paint that matches the hardware.
- Far away from the entrance, (or anything else for that matter), spray the metallic paint into a plastic cup or container, (a small amount at a time).
- Take a small artist’s paintbrush and lightly touch up the hardware, (be sure to tape around it and test to match before covering it completely).
- WD40 works wonders when sprayed into keyhole, latch, and doorknob.
Lastly, a grapevine wreath with a simple bow ($10 – $25) makes a nice decoration. In the picture below, this simple door decoration was made by my teenaged daughter.
Supplies Included:- 1 2×4 plank $1
- 2 small nails $0.50
- Hammer (You should have one of these, if not, borrow the neighbors)
- OR hot glue gun & glue sticks $6 (Scratch this if you have a hammer or the neighbor’s)
- Natural colored thick crochet yarn $6
- A small grapevine wreath $2
- A stem of flowers $1
The plank was sawed into two pieces. Those pieces were nailed in a cross position, but could have been glued. The yarn wrapped in a single layer around the cross until it was completely covered. The flowers were cut with long stems and woven into the grapevine. A picture hook was attached to the back which was a thickly braided yarn piece. We used our Christmas wreath holder to hang it in place.
There are many ways to increase the appearance of your home without investing a lot of money into it. A clean and picked up home only cost time and energy, but sure goes a long way.
Stop back for more tips. Please share your experiences or leave a question if you have one, I’ll do my best to answer it. Wishing you well in your home selling or buying ventures this season and as always…
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