Whether you own a fixer-upper you bought as a young couple, or the home where you raised your family, investing some time and energy into smart home projects can help you sell your home quickly without compromising on selling price.

Creating a Great First Impression

When selling a home, never underestimate the power of a first impression. From the moment potential buyers arrive at the house, you want them to have a positive feeling toward your home. Make sure your flower beds are weeded, and your trees and hedges don’t look overgrown or unruly. Replace your house numbers, selecting modern, easy-to-read numbers so potential buyers can immediately identify your home. Change the light bulb by the front door, and make sure it lights up the entire entryway.

Add a New Fence

Home buyers concerned about the safety of their family and pets, consider outdoor fencing a desirable property feature. When calculating the potential cost of installing a fence, you’ll need to take into account the size of your property, what kind of lumber you’re using (averages $7 to $15 per foot), and labor costs ($10 – $30 per foot). And if you want to add a gate to your fence, you should expect to pay an additional $200 – $600.

Don’t Forget the Door

Boost your curb appeal without spending a lot of time on painting, and focus on the front door. Painting the front door is an inexpensive project that can create a great first impression, and help you sell your home faster. When selecting the perfect color for the front door, carefully consider the style of your home, your home’s exterior color, and the style of the neighborhood. Make sure the color will make the front door pop without clashing with the exterior color or making it seem out of place in the neighborhood. Popular door colors you can select include white, blue, green, red, or brown.

Spruce Up the Kitchen

A home project involving the kitchen will likely be the most expensive project you’ll undertake, but modernizing your kitchen can increase the value of your home, and could make all the difference in securing a quick sale. Consider resurfacing the countertops, updating the sink and faucet (upscale faucets will cost you $200 – $600), or replacing the flooring to give the kitchen a whole new look.

Replace the Baseboards

Over the years, your baseboards have received a lot of wear and tear, and they may be scuffed and scraped in a few well-worn areas. Replacing the baseboards is a quick and cost-effective way to give your home an update. When the baseboards are removed, make sure you patch any hold or dents in the wall, then sand and repaint the baseboards, or replace the baseboards altogether to impress buyers with beautiful, clean lines between your wall and floor.

Fill Nail Holes in the Walls

If you’ve been in your current home for a while, you’ve probably rearranged the art and photos you have hanging on the walls, leaving behind a few nail holes here and there. You hardly notice these holes, but a potential buyer will be scrutinizing every wall. Filling the nail holes can make your home seem brand new, and this small home project will only take you one afternoon.

Organize the Garage

Is your garage full of boxes, Christmas decorations, and old sports equipment no one uses anymore? Consider that stuff a hindrance to a quick sale. You can sell your home faster by spending some time organizing the garage. Sell, donate, or toss anything you’re not planning to take with you when you move, and organize what’s left. Install some shelving, place a corkboard to hang tools, and add pegs or an overhead rack for any oversized storage. Buyers will be impressed by all the storage space, and you’ll have added an element that can expedite the sale.

Some homes can be on the market for months, but if you don’t want to wait that long, choose a few home projects to focus on, such as increasing curb appeal, sprucing up the kitchen, and organizing your garage and you’ll be able to sell your home quickly, helping you move on to your next adventure.

Most of these projects are quick and cost-effective fixes that will help you sell your house quickly, but if you’re looking for a bigger return on your investment, check out our list of Top 7 Home Renovations for the Money.

Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to figure out how to get started with your project. When it comes to plumbing, electrical work, or structural work, it’s best to call in a pro. Not only will this help keep you safe, but it will also ensure that your home doesn’t suffer any needless damage, which will save you money in the long run.

Keep reading for great tips on how to figure out the details of major or minor home repairs.

Figure Out What Type of Repair It Is

The first step is to figure out what kind of repair you have on your hands and what it will entail. Do some research online to find out more about the project you’re taking on. Repairs that involve plumbing, electrical work, or structural work always need a pro, which will drive up your costs but will be necessary in order for the job to be done safely and correctly. Common repairs that require a pro might include replacing a toilet, hot water heater, or electrical wiring.

Break Down the Cost

Breaking down the cost of your home repair project is imperative because it will allow you to create a budget from the beginning. Many minor home repairs can be done in a cost-effective way if you know how to get started; for instance, even if you call in a pro, you can buy the materials yourself, which will allow you to shop around for the best deals. Bigger repairs can get costly, however; the average national cost for a major home repair is around $10,429.

Establish a Timeline

Every home project requires a timeline from the jump. Not only will this help to save you money as you keep your contractor on task, but it will also keep your family comfortable because you won’t have to worry about having your home torn up for weeks or months. Without a set date for completion, you may face issues with the people you hire to get the job done. Keep in mind, however, that with major renovations often come setbacks. Get a written agreement from your contractor that includes the estimate they gave you for both the timeline and the cost.

Keep Permits in Mind

While many home repairs don’t require permission from the city, some do, and it’s important to educate yourself on how to go about getting cleared for your project. Any changes to the blueprint of your home — adding rooms, cutting holes for windows or skylights, or installing new plumbing or electrical work — will require a permit. Typically, these aren’t too expensive, but if you fail to get the right kind, you’ll be facing fines that could increase your budget.

Making changes to your home can be stressful and costly, so it’s imperative that you plan ahead before making any decisions. Do some research online and, if possible, talk to someone who has been through a similar project so you can get tips and advice.

It makes sense to consider replacing a tub with a shower for a number of reasons. Showers use far less water than bathtubs, and save on associated energy and water costs for that reason. They’re also usually quicker to use, and can be fitted with luxury features such as non-slip tiles and benches.

Also, showers are more “user-friendly” for an aging population. Tubs can be difficult for older adults and people with injuries or disabilities to get in and out of, whereas easy-entry shower stalls are much more accessible.  As millions of Baby Boomers reach retirement age, these trends should only continue to rise in popularity.

Deciding WheN TO DITCH THE TUB

Renovating your bathroom is a great home investment, but before you take the plunge and rip out that tub, give this decision some careful consideration.

First, consider use. How much use does your tub really get? If you have small children, tubs are much easier than stalls, of course. If you only have one bathroom available and your kids are under the age of 8, you might want to hold off on the project until they’re older.

Most homeowners are also concerned about resale value before making substantial changes to bathrooms and kitchens, and that’s wise. After all, your home is also an investment, and it’s only prudent to avoid making changes that can lessen its value.

Tubs are just “expected” by some home buyers, and there’s no getting around that. But the lack of a tub might not be a detriment to a later sale. It depends on your market and what buyers are willing to accept. In an area with a high demand for housing and a limited supply, a home that lacks a bathtub will still sell, all other things being equal.

One way to preserve your options in resale value is to keep one tub somewhere in the house. A shower-only house can be a tougher sale down the line. But if you have two or more bathrooms available, by all means exchange one of those tubs for a bigger and more luxurious shower stall.

Finally, look carefully at the cost. The least expensive options — shower stall kits — start at $200 but can rise in price dramatically, and that’s before you hire a contractor, adjust your water lines, remove the tub, or modify surrounding flooring.

If you have the budget, we’d strongly encourage you to hire a licensed, experienced contractor, especially if you’re planning to put in a curbless shower (as we discuss below). If you tackle this one on your own, expect to spend at least a full weekend at it.

How Big a Job Is It to Exchange a Tub for a Shower?

Simple one-to-one conversions — that is, taking out a tub and installing a shower stall in the same space — are fairly simple if you’re working with a tub in a recessed alcove. Taking out a tub will leave a working space of approximately five feet in length and anywhere from 30 to 34 inches on average deep. That’s more than adequate for a roomy shower stall. The water lines shouldn’t need much adjustment, so the total project won’t be terribly complex.

But if you’ve got a freestanding tub, or one located beneath a window (which isn’t uncommon) you’ll have a slightly tougher — and more expensive — job ahead of you. You may need to relocate water supply and main lines, and that could add several hundred dollars to the budget.

Space needs should be reviewed carefully. Modern building codes require a shower floor space, or shower pan, of at least 30 inches square, which should make the removed-tub space sufficient. But some industry standards suggest a minimum of at least 36 inches square, in which case you’ll have some overage if you’re working with a standard tub footprint.

You’ll also need a height clearance of at least 80 inches, and at least 15” (preferably 18”) of space should remain between the side of the toilet and the side of the shower wall. And, of course, if there’s a swinging door entrance into the shower stall, you’ll need to make sure it completely clears any possible obstructions such as cabinetry or fixtures.

What Kind of Shower? 

One of those popular choices among homeowners who are ditching the tub and moving to shower-only baths is the walk-in shower. These designs offer both ease of use — especially for an aging homeowner — and a more modern, streamlined aesthetic that conveys a sense of luxury.

Another consideration in choosing to replace a tub with a shower is whether to select a stall with or without a curb.

Many stalls feature a curb — a “lip” usually constructed out of tile that protects the rest of the room’s flooring by acting as a little dam for the water before it drains through the floor. A curbless shower stall uses a shower pan that’s flush with the rest of the floor of the bathroom, without that lip.

While curbless stalls do look more modern and are definitely trending in popularity these days, they’re also more difficult to install correctly, often requiring adjustments to the existing floor height and adding to the project cost.

So if you think you’d like the curbless option, review your options with your licensed contractor carefully, and seek their input and recommendations.