When you're selling a house, and want a quick house sale, you have to be prepared to spend some before you earn some, in the hopes of being able to sell at a profit of course.
But when it comes to spending for home improvements, how much is enough? Well, it depends on the state of your house of course.
If it's almost run down, you might need a total makeover, but most often than not, all you'll need is a retouch here and a few fixes there.
You don't have to go over the top with it, but you'll be surprised how much difference these small improvements can make.
Here are some cheap and fast fixes that can add value to your home and help you sell it quick.
1.
Entice buyers with a neat and green front lawn.
You can hire a neighbor's kid to trim your lawn for you (for about £20),and try using nitrogen-rich fertilizer to make the grass grow green and healthy in just 2 to 3 weeks.
2.
Replace the door knocker.
This may sound ridiculous but a shiny door knocker shows that you care for your home and this forms part of a good first impression.
3.
Replace the mailbox.
You might have trimmed and greened your front lawn but if an old worn out mailbox sticks out, that would be quite a bit of a let down.
Replace it with a clean and nice-looking new mailbox to help improve your home's curb appeal.
4.
Clean out the closets.
Buyers like looking in closets and shelf space, and they want to see them clean and organized.
If they are, then the assumption is that the inner workings of the house are good.
If you can afford it, customize your closets with organizing options, but if you can't, all you have to do it clean them out to at least create an impression that the house is in good order.
5.
Paint your walls white.
Forget about style and personality.
When it comes to selling a house, paint your walls white or at least a neutral color to make the space look brighter and bigger.
6.
Spruce up the cabinets.
It is expensive to replace kitchen cabinets, but you don't really have to replace all of it.
Two-thirds of the cost of a cabinet is the box, and it lasts forever.
You can just replace the door, which costs much less, or maybe even just paint it with a fresh coat.
7.
Replace drawer pulls.
Replace old boring drawer pulls with new stylish ones to make the kitchen look modern and up-to-date.
8.
Buy a new chandelier.
If you have a chandelier that looks like it was handed down from your grandmother, you can buy a new, modern-looking, and inexpensive one at stores like Home Depot or Ikea, or find one online.
If it's still too expensive for you, then all you need is your duster, a little elbow grease, and a cloth to shine the one you have.
9.
Replace switch plate covers.
These are one of the most overlooked items in the house when cleaning,so in time, dust accumulates and they become black and dirty.
It only costs less than a pound to replace each.
Clean switch plate covers that match your wall will make your home look tidy and neat.
10.
Replace the toilet seat.
Because no one wants to sit on somebody's old toilet seat, enough said.
These small home improvements, when added up, can make a huge difference.
But what if you need to sell house quickly to pay your debts, move to another city for a job, or settle a divorce? Then you might not have the budget nor the time to be able to make these little fixes.
Well, if you don't have to host open houses, then you might not have to.
In fact, when you're in any of the situations mentioned, chances are an estate agent can't help you.
What you need to do is to sell to a cash home buyer because he or she will have the cash to be able to buy directly from you, no matter what condition your house is in.
You may have to sell slightly lower than the prevailing market value, but then you save on home improvement, as well as estate agent and legal fees.
It comes up to about the same value, but there is no way you can complete the sale of a house in just a few days if you sell through an estate agent.
And with the recession and housing slump, it has become an even more viable option for homeowners wanting to sell.