Homeseller’s Toolkit: 2024 Edition

Sell your home quickly.
Get your asking price (or more).
Move on.

If you’re looking to sell your home, you’ve probably heard that making improvements can result in higher profit at sale time. But knowing exactly which home improvements are worth the money, time and effort can be challenging. You wonder what defects prospective buyers will overlook when they tour your home — and what things might be deal breakers if you don’t address them. Your REALTOR^® can provide guidance on this. 

Every property is unique. What improvements or upgrades you ultimately choose to make before listing your home will depend on how quickly you want to sell your home, your budget, and the comparable homes for sale in your area.

The good news: you may not need to do a major remodel to increase the value of your home. Simple updates can spark interest, help maximize profit and favorably impress potential buyers who tour your home. Remember: most buyers don’t want a project — they want a home. Focus on making your property as attractive and move-in-ready as possible. 

Before you put your house on the market, review our Homeseller’s Toolkit, created to help you make informed decisions about how to get your home ready to sell. If your moving timeline allows, schedule or make improvements at least two months before listing to ensure you can complete all the repairs. They’ll all pay off in the end when you get a great offer on your home. ¹

CONSIDER A PRE-INSPECTION

Many sellers choose to pay for a pre-inspection. A good home inspector will take a thorough look at your home’s major systems, structural components, and appliances, and identify any issues that may be red flags to potential buyers. A pre-inspection helps you prioritize any repairs that need to be done, helps you determine what issues may slow down the sale of your home, and directs you toward a reasonable asking price for your home. You’ll also get an idea of any safety issues that may exist. Your REALTOR^® can provide recommendations for inspectors.

INCREASE CURB APPEAL

As the saying goes, potential buyers tend to “judge a book by its cover.” Peoples’ first impression of your home should be a good one. Buyers don’t want to spend time or money catching up on neglected maintenance. In a 2023 report, most REALTORS^® (92%) suggested sellers improve curb appeal prior to listing a home for sale.²

Freshen up the front entry and walkways.

• Make sure that your sidewalk is cleaned or pressure washed and the grass is neatly edged. 
• If your walkway is not adequately lit, consider adding easy-to-install solar-powered lighting.  
• On the walkway, landing and patios, replace broken stone or pavers, fill any sidewalk cracks and fill or repair any concrete. Schedule masonry repair
• Replace the welcome mat. Choose something clean and simple — no cartoons or funny phrases!
• Consider potted plants. Determine if your front door faces the morning or afternoon sun and choose plants accordingly. Frame the front of your home by keeping things symmetrical. Place identical potted plants (or groupings of container gardens) on both sides of the staircase leading to the front porch or on either side of the front door. Keep it simple: buyers want to see your home and shouldn’t be distracted by lots of decoration. Many neighborhood hardware stores offer pre-planted planters and can offer guidance. 

Hang new house numbers. 

Choose bronze or brass for a traditional home, brushed nickel for a more contemporary house. These can be found at your local hardware store or ordered online. 
Schedule house number installation (handyman)

Freshen up paint.

• Paint or stain the front door. Unless the door is beyond restoring, avoid replacing it if you can. Let the new owner do that.
• Sand and repaint trim (especially around windows and horizontal surfaces such as sills where water tends to gather) and any areas that have peeling or cracking paint to give your home a fresh, clean look. Request a painting estimate

Clear the yard.

• Put away bikes and outdoor toys.
• Discard rusty or broken patio furniture and playground equipment.
• Discard dirty or broken décor, such as water features, windchimes, birdhouses and bird feeders. Consider removing any artwork — what you find suitable may be offputting to potential buyers. 

Pressure wash.

No matter how great your home looks on the inside, a messy or neglected exterior is a turnoff. Pressure washing should definitely be part of your pre-sale to do list. If the outside of your home has years of caked-on dirt and grime, mold or algae, buyers may move on without ever touring the inside. A clean exterior signals to buyers that you take care of your home. Pressure washing can elevate your home to a like-new condition. 

Consider pressure washing these surfaces:

• Front entry
• Driveway
• Siding, brick, stucco, stone
• Shutters, doors, windows
• Roof and gutters
• Sidewalks, patios, pavers, stairs
• Decks and fences

Get Dwell professionals know the best equipment settings and cleaning products to use on all your home’s surfaces, from windows to bricks. They use only eco-friendly chemicals to both clean and rejuvenate your home’s exterior while respecting your landscaping and the planet.
Request a pressure washing estimate

Repair, paint, stain or replace any broken fencing or railings. 

Wooden fences shouldn’t have any rotting or weather-beaten boards. The gate on all fences should open and close smoothly. Replace any wood that’s unsightly or too rotted to be functional. Prime and paint over any areas with issues. If there’s rust on any metal, remove it with a metal brush and apply a rust treatment before painting. Or reach out to Get Dwell — we are happy to help. Whether a simple fix or new install, our professional teams can repair all types of fences, including wood, wrought iron, aluminum, composite, steel and vinyl.
Request a fence and gate repair estimate

Replace your mailbox or install a new one.

A rusty, broken or shabby looking mailbox makes a poor impression on prospective home buyers. They may see it as just one more thing they’ll have to pay to update if they purchase your property. Get Dwell can either install a new mailbox on your home or a mailbox and post at the end of your driveway, and will leave the area where the work was performed clean and tidy.
Schedule mailbox replacement or installation   

Plant flowers.

Another relatively easy way to increase curb appeal is by planting colorful seasonal flowers. Flowers will make your home more welcoming. If it’s spring, plant bright, blooming annuals. In the autumn, plant fall-blooming flowers such as mums, asters and pansies in rich, warm tones such as oranges, deep reds and yellows. If you don’t have beds for planting, plant in containers such as inexpensive terra cotta pots, plastic planter boxes or hanging baskets. If you’re not a gardener, don’t despair. Garden centers and many neighborhood hardware stores offer pre-planted planters and can offer guidance. 

Manicure landscaping. 

Regular maintenance is key: keep your front and back yards well maintained by clearing leaves, trimming bushes and cleaning up debris. Whether it’s fall, spring or summer, a pristine, mowed lawn is always the hallmark of a well-maintained home.

Hide the AC unit and garbage. 

A shadow box fence enclosure with a gate for the A/C unit or a more enclosed structure for the garbage area is usually most desired, but simple screening and lattice also work well, as do strategically placed bushes. Need help?
Schedule a handyman

INTERIOR HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Clean all windows, both inside and out. 

Just about every REALTOR^® will recommend that your windows be gleaming bright and without a speck on them. This is a job sometimes best left to the pros. Get Dwell’s team of efficient technicians combines state-of-the-art equipment and water purification technology to spotlessly clean your windows, skylights, glass atriums, mirrors, screens, sills and window tracks. Using water-fed poles, the team removes layers of dust, dirt and grime from both the outside and inside of your windows, even in the hardest-to-reach spots, including windows as high as the third floor. This process also offers weather resistance: rain won’t dull the shine. And, Get Dwell offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Request a window washing estimate

Detect it.

All smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should be in good working order, and less than 10 years old. Test your detectors and replace the batteries if needed. 

Clear the clutter.

An essential element to selling real estate is making the right impression on buyers. Before buyers decide to schedule a walkthrough of a property, they must be won over by its photos. Nothing turns off buyers more than clutter. A house that’s overflowing with collectibles can appear smaller than it really is. It’s difficult for most people to correctly estimate the size of a room when it’s filled with clutter. The goal is to make your property a clean slate that potential buyers can visualize themselves in.  

Do a clean sweep of counters, shelves, windowsills, tables, fireplace mantels and tables of any unnecessary items. Make sure to remove all personal items, including:

• Family photos and children’s artwork
• Any fridge magnets 
• Distracting wall plaques with quotations 

Get your junk picked up.

So you’ve decluttered your home. What to do with all the items you’ve decided to part with? Our junk removal services provide you with all the labor needed to remove junk and debris from your home, load it into our vehicles and dispose of it properly. You can be assured of a friendly, professional, hard-working team that will also leave all areas broom-sweep clean when they’re done.
Request a junk pickup estimate

Paint.

Since you see your house every day, it’s easy to overlook problems that may jump out to potential buyers. Your walls may have peeling paint, holes, scuffs and dings. Perhaps there’s water damage on the ceiling. When your house is on the market, these dings and dents, however small, can be a turnoff to buyers. A fresh coat of paint on the walls and trim can make your house look like new.

Get Dwell’s EPA-certified painters are experts in both interior and exterior painting. Using only the finest products and paints, such as Benjamin Moore, they use painting and finishing best practices on fine trim details, walls, ceilings and exterior surfaces to create long-lasting finishes. In the process, they’ll work hard to keep your home clean and dust free. Folks who tour your home will see fresh walls, clean lines and a home that’s ready to move into.
Request a painting estimate

Clean the attic, basement and crawlspaces.

After you’ve decluttered and had junk hauled away, it’s time to clean those neglected areas of your home. If you need help, our professional cleaners work in teams of two. They wear backpack vacuums and bring all the cleaning equipment needed to get your job done professionally. Using only organic products and cleaning top down, they’ll wipe, vacuum and mop any surface needed, making your basement or other out-of-the-way place shine.
Schedule a basement & crawlspaces cleanup | Schedule an attic cleanup

Fix it.

You walk through your home every day and have probably stopped seeing all the things that need attention. However, these things will stand out to potential buyers. Check your home for these problems:

• Signs of rot and water damage
• Sticky cabinet doors and drawers — they should open and close smoothly. If your drawers have tracks, make sure they’re free of gunk and replace them if necessary.
• Broken or missing knobs and handles on cabinets and drawers
• Loose hinges or doors that don’t easily open and close — bi-fold doors can be especially frustrating 
• Dirty looking grout, discolored caulk and cracked tiles
• Damaged wallpaper
• Broken garbage disposal

Get Dwell can assist you with all these projects. No project is too small. Beyond being skilled jack-of-all-trades, our handypersons are experienced Project Managers. They can fix, assemble, install and make things in your home right using industry best practices, while making sure that even your very small projects are handled with the seriousness and respect that you and your home deserve.
Schedule handyman services

Remove any mold.

If you suspect you have mold growth in your home, address it before putting your house on the market. Unknown mold found in the attic by a buyer’s inspector can be a deal-killer. Our IICRC-certified inspectors will identify, test for and help determine the cause of the mold and put together a plan to safely remove it. Then our team works with you to create the solution to prevent any reoccurrence. Request a mold inspection or cleanup estimate

Make electrical upgrades.

In order for a house to be desirable to potential buyers, it needs to be safe, functional and reliable. Electrical fixtures play a huge role in a home, meaning if they’re outdated, worn and dirty, they lower the value of your home. No one wants to buy a home that needs a panel upgrade, or a home where the wiring is unreliable. These issues will come up in an inspection. 

Many electrical upgrades rank very high on the ROI (Return on Investment) scale, meaning the money you put into them will not only make your home more attractive, but also hopefully increase home value. All in all, electrical upgrades can be a fast, easy and very cost-effective way to boost home value, especially since most home buyers use more amps to accommodate computers, TVs or other modern appliances.

Defective electrical outlets and light sockets should be repaired prior to listing your home. Outdated overhead light fixtures and ceiling fans (20–30+ years old) may no longer be safe. Consider replacing them.

A GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) is an automatic device that offers personal protection against lethal electrical shock or electrocution by stopping electrical power within milliseconds. Code requires that GFCIs should be installed anywhere there is the potential for contact between a person and an electrical appliance in or near water, moisture or water pipes. This includes kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms, basements, outdoor outlets and outbuildings. 

Our certified, licensed and experienced electricians will help you make the right choices for you and your family. We believe that there’s only one way to do electrical work and that’s the correct way. Schedule electrical services

Stop the leaks, clogs, and other water fun.

Do you have any of these issues?

• Leaky sinks and dripping faucets 
• Clogged drains in sinks, showers, tubs 
• Defective overflow drain (prevents overfilling a bathtub)
• Broken toilets
• Dripping shower heads
• Leaking or corroded water heater
• Dripping outside hose spigot or faucet  

Get Dwell can help you check all these things off your list before selling your home.
Request a plumbing repair estimate

Keep cool. And warm.

Your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) should be in good working order, clean and free of leaks. Your thermostat should operate properly. If you have any doubts, schedule an HVAC technician to perform a tune-up and give you an assessment of your system’s condition.
Schedule an HVAC technician

Tie up the loose ends. 

Getting your home ready to sell is a daunting task. Sometimes you just need an extra pair of hands to help you get to the finish line. Chore Taskers, a less expensive alternative to our handyman service, can help with tasks such as:

• Moving/packing boxes
• Assembly/disassembly
• Changing interior and exterior light bulbs in hard-to-reach fixtures
• Organizing your garage, basement and attic
• Cleaning window wells

Basically, Chore Taskers can handle anything that doesn’t require a skilled handyman or carpenter. They’ll show up on time, are professional, organized and get the job done, no matter how large or small.
Schedule a Chore Tasker

Deep clean.

One of buyers’ top priorities is a clean home. Clean homes fetch an average of $10K–$20K more than houses that haven’t been cleaned well. According to 87% of REALTORS^®, the most important thing for a homeowner to do is clean. A deep clean has an average return on investment (ROI) of 3,650%. In other words, a $400 investment in deep cleaning can potentially mean an average of $14,600 more at sale time.³  Ask your REALTOR^® for a recommendation of a good deep cleaning service.

Stage it.

Staging is the process of arranging your home to show it off in the best way possible, making it easy for prospective buyers to see themselves living in your home. Staging awkwardly shaped rooms allows buyers to get an idea of what space could be used for. If you plan to be moved out of your house by the time tours begin, adding décor and furniture that’s on trend and well curated will help potential buyers imagine themselves in your home.

In the end, hiring a staging company can be a worthwhile investment for many sellers. If you’re not comfortable staging your home yourself, consider hiring a company or consultant — ask your REALTOR^® for a recommendation.

EXTERIOR HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Ensure your roof is solid.

Roof issues will likely be flagged on a home inspection. Your roof shouldn’t have any cracked, broken or missing shingles or tiles, as these components protect your home from water damage and once flagged as issues, will worry potential buyers. A flat roof showing cracks, bubbles and blisters may be highlighted during inspection and lead to suspicions about its longevity and integrity. If you have interior water damage or staining on your ceilings or walls it can mean a roof leak or condensation issue — no one wants to inherit those issues when they purchase a home.  

The licensed roofing repair contractors at Get Dwell can inspect your roof and, if needed, use drone technology to video map your roof. This provides a bird’s-eye view of its condition and highlights any areas that require attention, giving you the information and peace of mind you and your buyer are looking for. 

Schedule roof inspection    |    Request a roof repair estimate

Refresh your deck.

The Get Dwell team can repair, rebuild and refresh your deck to restore its former glory. Outdoor living areas like these score high on homeowners’ paybacks. Sometimes a little TLC and a simple, solid stain can make a big difference to the look of your deck and the added value to your home.
Request a deck refresh or repair estimate

REMODELING

To remodel or not — that is the question.

Making upgrades you can enjoy for years to come is one thing, but spending money on projects when you’ve already decided to sell is another. You might invest in major improvements and get your money back when your property sells. Or you might not. Reports show that less expensive, minor projects have far greater payback than major and even mid-range projects.⁴ 

A good REALTOR^® who knows your neighborhood and location well should know what’s worth doing and what’s not. They’re taking clients into homes and hearing prospective buyers’ comments and complaints every day. 

A modern kitchen is a top draw for buyers, but don’t try to overhaul a dated one, which could cost you a bundle. New drawer pulls, painting or refacing old cabinets and installing sleek light fixtures are all low-cost upgrades that will make your kitchen more appealing. Experts agree that smaller renovations will have a greater payback when you sell your house rather than major remodels, but only you, with help from your REALTOR^®, can determine if an outdated bathroom will limit your home’s potential enough to invest in a new one. In other words, if it isn’t broke, refresh vs. renovate.

Contact Get Dwell — we can work with your REALTOR^® to help you decide what remodeling projects to invest in before listing your home.

Learn more about our home improvement and remodeling services

Let’s connect!

We know that selling a home can be stressful. Our goal at Get Dwell is to maintain good communication with you at all times, making our time with you as efficient, productive and cost effective as possible. Please reach out if we can help you ready your house in any way!
Contact Get Dwell

2024 Homeseller’s Toolkit™ Sources

1. “Best Home Improvements to Increase Value,” Zillow Learning Center, November 8, 2023
   ↩︎
2. “2023 Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features,” National Association of REALTORS^® Research Group ↩︎
3. “Highest ROI Home Improvements,” iPropertyManagement.com, April 28, 2022; Homelight’s “Top Agent Insights for New Year 2022”; National Association of REALTORS^® Research Group, “2022 Remodeling Impact Report” ↩︎
4. Remodeling Magazine’s 36th annual Cost vs. Value report, Zonda Media ↩︎