10 ways to spruce up your property

Are you in the market to sell or rent your Bahamas real estate? Do you want to get the most out of your sale or rental? If you’re in the market to sell or rent your property, it’s in your best interest to spruce it up by removing any signs of age and injecting a warm, inviting appeal into your open space.

Below are ten ways to fix your property to rent or sell your place:

1) Organize your space
When someone rents a space and especially when they buy, they want this space (be it a condo, apartment, house or other) to reflect them and not the previous owner or landlord. To accomplish this, the owner’s/landlord’s personal effects must be removed so that there is room for the tenant or new owner to display their personal effects.

See your space with other eyes. If you are renting your space and many of your personal items remain on the premises, you should purge these items for the tenant’s sake. Do you have family portraits or framed photos of you and your family in the space? Do you have some sort of collection of ornaments on display like ceramic ducks, dolls, plates, silver spoons, medieval characters, sports memorabilia, etc.?

If you do, you must remove these items. No one wants to rent a space with personal items in there; they want a space for themselves. Remove your personal items and remove stored items so you have a chance to store your items.

2) Fresh paint job
A fresh coat of paint goes a long way! That’s how it is. Did you know that this is the best way to see a whole new space? A fresh coat of paint looks bright and clean and smells new, giving your space an immediate upgrade. It is often a very good investment and really improves the appearance, adding dollars to the offers.

When choosing paint colors, stick to the neutral spectrum. Bright and dark colors change the feel of the size of any room, and these colors are not the most pleasing to the eye. Neutral paint colors will please more people than bright, dark colors.

Paint the outside? If the paint still looks good on the walls, simply repaint the ceiling. The boxing should be painted in a color that offsets the rest of the building.

3) Crown and Floor Moldings – Install and Paint
Do you have crown molding or floor molding in your space? If it does, do they need to be painted? If your walls don’t need a paint job, consider simply painting the crown and floor molding to enhance the space.

Crown moldings make a great first impression when installed in entryways and living/family rooms.

4) New Electric Plates and Light Switches
This is such a small, yet overlooked improvement. Many homeowners leave old faded and chipped electric and/or light switch plates in their space. Most of the time, if a painter is hired, he will usually paint over these plates, which doesn’t make it look any better. This is the cheapest upgrade on this list. Be sure to replace your dishes.

5) Front Door
The first thing you see when entering a building, whether it’s a house, condo, townhouse, or similar, is the front door. It is the first impression of the space you want to rent or sell, so it must be in excellent condition. If your door is screaming “Help me! I’m falling apart. I have termites. Please paint me. Look at my mold” or similar, your door isn’t leaving a very good impression on the rest of the space.

Assess door for damage and replace if necessary. Sand and paint your current door and leave it open to dry properly, otherwise the paint will stick to the door frame.

If the door handle has a copper finish, polish it. You may also want to change the handle if it looks old.

6) Update the Kitchen
The kitchen is usually one of the first major renovations/updates a house would have. Updating the entire kitchen will cost over $30,000. One of the cheapest and easiest steps to update your kitchen would be to update the faucets. If your cabinets look old and worn, try a coat of paint to bring them some life. Replacing cabinet knobs is an inexpensive upgrade that will transform the look of your entire kitchen. If you want to spend a little more money to make a big difference, add a beautiful tile backsplash. The backsplash adds color and dimension to your kitchen by changing the entire feel of the space.

7) Update the Bathrooms
Replace your old stained shower curtains and continue the new theme with a rug and a few standout pieces like the soap dispenser, toothbrush holder, and tissue cover. The new theme you choose for the bathroom should not be childish. Choose a bathroom theme that is a solid color like burgundy, a calming theme like a sailboat, or choose one that has random colorful shapes.

To really make this space over the top, update your faucets and towel bars. You can even replace the mirror or update it by adding a wooden frame.

8) Clean Tile Grout
After long periods of time, dirt and debris settle between the tiles in the tile grout, making the finish dark and unsightly. Removing this encrusted gunk will require some hard work with a lot of elbow grease. There are many ways you can try to clean tile grout; most will take a long time and will not produce great results. The best method is to hire a professional who uses some version of acid. Don’t do this alone if you don’t know what you’re doing. It can burn your skin and eyes very easily, and it can also damage the floor if you’re not careful.

9) Clean Carpets
Carpets hold a lot of dirt and debris, especially in “high traffic” areas, which can make your carpet look older than it really is. Dirt and debris also help create a funk in the air over time.

To make sure your space is ready for a new tenant or owner, clean your carpet. There are two types of methods, the dry method and the wet method. Use Carpet Powder with your vacuum or use Carpet Shampoo with a Carpet Shampoo.

10) Go Green and Add Plants
Plants can brighten up any room. A room empty of plant life is a simple room. A room full of plants is a room full of life. Plants calm our heat rate, lower our blood pressure, add oxygen to the air, help us relax and focus, and much more.

Add plants to the interior and exterior of your property. Indoor plants will make the space more inviting and should put potential renters or buyers at ease. Outdoor plants will do the same and add curb appeal as well.