With steadily increasing sale prices, a lack of inventory, and plenty of interested buyers, the Bodega Bay real estate market is heavily in favor of sellers. If you plan to list your Bodega Bay real estate in the next few months, you can take advantage of the market by pricing your home competitively, having it professionally staged, and working with an experienced local real estate agent. If you want to increase your sale price even further, you might also want to consider some upgrades. The best types of remodeling projects for those who plan to list homes for sale in Bodega Bay in the near future are those that have a high return on investment. This means you’re likely to get back a large percentage of what you spent on the project when you sell your home. Here are some high ROI projects to consider.
1. Minor remodel on a bathroom
Updating bathrooms in homes for sale in Bodega Bay can go a long way toward selling quickly and for top dollar. Unless your bathroom is completely out of date and has a poor layout, your best bet is to do a minor remodel that involves replacing the vanity, updating the flooring and lighting fixtures, installing a new faucet, painting or refacing cabinets, and putting new tile into the shower or bathtub areas. When you remodel, you can often get back more than you spent when you sell.
2. Upgrading your landscaping
“Curb appeal” is a hot button when it comes to selling Bodega Bay real estate. Prospective buyers are going to form an opinion of your home based on the front exterior, and the last thing you want is for them to have a negative mindset when they walk in the front door. It always pays to invest some time and money into updating your landscaping — especially if you’re preparing to list your home for sale. If your front exterior needs a lot of help, consider hiring a professional landscaper who can come up with a comprehensive plan that maps plants, hardscape structures, and practical issues like extending utility lines.
Don’t need that much work done? You can vastly improve your home’s appeal simply by tidying the lawn, bushes, and trees, placing colorful plants or flowers in decorative planters near the front porch and repairing any visible damage to your driveway, walkway, and front entryway area.
3. Minor kitchen remodel
Those who are looking at homes for sale in Bodega Bay want a kitchen that is functional, attractive and serves as a gathering place for friends, family members, or guests. The importance of a home’s kitchen has been magnified by the recent pandemic when homeowners were forced to cook, eat, and gather in their homes rather than go out. If your kitchen has a modern layout and is in relatively good shape, you can choose to do a high ROI minor update to increase its appeal. Minor kitchen remodels usually involve resurfacing cabinets, replacing outdated appliances, updating your flooring and countertops, and applying a coat of fresh paint in a warm, neutral color.
4. Converting the attic to a bedroom
Though storage space is important for those looking at homes for sale in Bodega Bay, you can greatly increase your listing price if you convert a typical storage space — like the attic — into an additional bedroom. If your home has a convertible attic, you’ve got the perfect opportunity for a high ROI remodeling project. Though an attic conversion is not one of the lesser expensive projects you can choose — the average cost is anywhere from $39,000 to $75,000 — you can appeal to those buyers who need more bedrooms for their families. Depending on the extent of your project, you can expect to get back at least half of your investment.
5. Entry door or garage door replacement
The exterior doors on your home — especially those that face the front — are a critical part of your curb appeal. If they’ve seen better days, replacing them can boost the exterior appeal of your home, encourage buyers of homes for sale in Bodega Bay to come inside, and ultimately up to your selling price. Replacing the front door is a relatively inexpensive update that will totally reimagine your front entry, and a garage door replacement will cost only a little more depending on the type you choose, but you can expect to get your entire investment back. That’s why Remodeling magazine ranks a garage door replacement as the second-highest ROI home improvement project.
6. Adding a deck, patio, or porch
One of the perks of owning Bodega Bay real estate is the ability to enjoy the fantastic weather. If your home doesn’t already have a quality outdoor living space where you (and your buyers) can soak up the sun, you should consider adding it to your list of projects.
If you plan to sell your home in the upcoming months, planning some high ROI remodels can reduce the time your house spends on the market and ensure you get the most possible out of your sale. Ready to start planning? Reach out to trusted Bodega Bay real estate agent Kris Lepore for guidance throughout the entire pre-listing and selling process.