18 JUNE 22, 2017 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
AT HOME
7 'little' upgrades that can mean a lot to homebuyers
Anyone who's ever bought or sold
a home knows how even little
things can sway a buyer to feel
a particular house is "just right." While
major features such as a good location,
a big kitchen, and a certain number of
bedrooms and bathrooms all drive a
home's price and how attractive it is to
buyers, small details like fresh paint and
new faucets can also help clinch a sale.
When you're trying to sell your
home, you should be willing to spend
some money on repairs and improvements
to help boost the sale price.
The good news is that you don't have
to spend a lot to make a big impact if
you invest in key quality details. Here
are seven "little things" you can do to
help make your home more appealing
to buyers, and possibly get a better
price — and you can accomplish them
in just a weekend:
• Upgrade your kitchen faucet and
sink — The kitchen faucet and sink
aren't just practical tools every
kitchen needs — they can also be essential
elements of a room's overall
design and appeal. Replacing a dated
kitchen faucet is a minor change
that can mean a lot to homebuyers.
Choose a pull-down, multi-function
option like the American Standard
Edgewater semi-professional kitchen
faucet with SelectFlo technology.
In addition to modern styling, you'll
get four spray functions and a convenient
pause feature, the ability to
set a preferred water temperature
without re-adjusting the handle,
and a water-conserving maximum
flow rate of just 1.5 gallons per
minute. Pair it with an Edgewater
double bowl stainless steel kitchen
sink, and you've created a new focal
point of design, effi ciency and utility
sure to catch buyers' eyes.
• Install a programmable thermostat
— If your home's thermostat predates
Facebook, it's probably time to ditch
the dial and install a touchpad programmable
thermostat. Not only
would a new thermostat help your
home look more modern, a programmable
thermostat helps with energy
effi ciency — something that's very
important to today's homebuyers.
The U.S. Department of Energy says
reducing your thermostat setting
by just 7-10 degrees for eight hours
a day can save you as much as 10
percent annually on energy bills.
A programmable thermostat automates
the savings for you!
• Replace incandescent light bulbs
— If your home still has traditional
lightbulbs, replacing them with
The classically-styled Townsend bathroom sink and shower faucets boast strikingly-tapered design lines, along
with water-saving performance, and are complemented by the attractive Boulevard high-effi ciency, concealed
trapway toilet, all from American Standard.
energy-saving LEDs or CFLs is an
easy way to improve your home's
overall energy efficiency. These
bulbs use 25-80 percent less energy
than conventional bulbs and last
three to 25 times longer, according
to the Department of Energy. Imagine
the appeal for homebuyers when
your selling agent mentions that
light bulbs won't need replacing for
years aft er moving in!
• Upgrade the front door — Your
home's entrance is the feature that
offi cially welcomes potential buyers
into your humble abode. Replacing
an old, weathered front door with a
new one creates a positive fi rst impression.
What's more, installing a
steel entry door returns 90 percent
of its value at the time of resale, according
to Remodeling Magazine's
Cost vs. Value Report.
• Put a water-effi cient faucet in the
bathroom — A great deal of water
can be wasted in the bathroom,
and the faucet can be one of the
biggest culprits. Replacing an older
bathroom faucet with a modern
water-conserving option like one
from the Townsend bathroom sink
faucet collection is not only visually
appealing for buyers, it also speaks
to their sense of environmental responsibility.
What's more, upgrading
to a faucet with handles, instead
of a knob-style operation, allows for
easier functionality for people with
varying degrees of dexterity, from
small children to senior citizens.
• Add a water fi ltration system in the
kitchen — Americans are more aware
than ever of the quality of water inside
their homes, so adding a fi ltration
system can be an extra feature that
appeals to homebuyers. Simple under
sink fi ltration systems can cost as
little as a couple hundred dollars.
• Install a sun tube — Who doesn't
want a home filled with natural
light? Not only does sunlight deliver
physical and mental health benefi ts,
using natural light can also help reduce
dependence on artifi cial light
sources that impact your energy
bills. Sun tubes can bring natural
light into dark spaces, even those on
the ground fl oor. DIYers can install
this special refl ective tubing for
under $500, while pro installation
can run closer to $1,000.
When you're selling a house, every
little bit helps, and upgrading small details
can make a big diff erence in how
potential buyers view your home. Go
ahead, make these upgrades now, and
see potentially higher gains in the sale
of your home.
Courtesy BPT
Showcasing sleek, geometric styling and impressive functionality, the
Edgewater semi-pro kitchen faucet with single-handle operation helps
accomplish kitchen tasks with ease. It pairs beautifully with the sleek,
rectangular Edgewater double-bowl kitchen sink that features tapered,
zero radius corners and premium 18-gauge stainless steel construction.