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HomeGain surveyed 1,000 Realtors nationwide and asked for the top 12 DIY home improvements that cost under $5,000 and benefit home sellers.
Guess what?…
The #1 home improvement that Realtors recommend to home sellers — based on cost and return on investment) is: Cleaning and de-cluttering!
That’s right. It costs $200 on average to do the proper amount of cleaning and decluttering prior to a move, yet it can increase your home’s value by as much as $1,700.
That’s an 872% return on investment! Extensive cleaning and decluttering was recommended by 98% of Realtors surveyed.
See the other top 11 DIY home improvements that made the list…
The remaining 11 low-cost, do-it-yourself home improvements that Realtors believe home sellers should concentrate on are: (in this order)
- Home staging
- Lightening and brightening
- Landscaping
- Repairing plumbing
- Updating electrical
- Replacing or shampooing carpets
- Painting interior walls
- Repairing damaged floors
- Updating kitchen
- Painting outside of home
- Updating bathrooms
5 DIY Projects Which Cost The Least, Impact The Most
- Cleaning and decluttering – cost: $200
- Lightening and brightening – cost: $230
- Home staging – cost: $300
- Replacing or shampooing carpets – cost: $300
- Landscaping front & back – cost: $320
5 DIY Projects With The Greatest Return On Investment
The home improvement projects that have the greatest return on investment value for home sellers are:
- Cleaning and decluttering – 872%
- Home staging – 576%
- Lightening and brightening – 572%
- Landscaping front & back – 473%
- Repairing plumbing – 327%
5 DIY Projects Which Affect A Home’s Resale Value The Most
The home improvement projects that have the highest price increases to a home’s resale value are:
- Updating the kitchen – price increase: $2,850
- Painting the outside of the home – price increase: $1,815
- Home staging – price increase: $1,780
- Painting interior walls – price increase: $1,770
- Cleaning and decluttering – price increase: $1,700
Cleaning and de-cluttering continues to rank as the top suggested home improvement since the survey was originally conducted in 2000. See which other items from the list have continued to be high-ranking year after year.
I like to help people find unique ways to do things that will save time & money — so I write about "outside the box" Household Tips and Life Hacks that most wouldn't think of. I'm super-organized. And I LOVE to clean! I even enjoy doing laundry (but not ironing). I’m also a lifelong dog owner — so I often share my favorite tips for living with dogs inside your home (like smart home design choices and dog-friendly cleaning & decorating ideas). Career-wise, I've been sharing my best ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998 (the same year that Google started… and before the days of Facebook and YouTube). Prior to that, I worked in Higher Ed over 10 years before switching gears to pursue activities that I'm truly passionate about instead. For example, I've worked at a vet, in a photo lab, and at a zoo — to name a few. I enjoy the outdoors via bicycle, motorcycle, Jeep, or RV. When I’m not cleaning, organizing, decorating, or fixing something… you'll find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).
