In writing about our personal experiences, we sometimes mention products & services that we use or recommend. This page may contain affiliate links for which we receive a commission.
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). To date, I’ve personally written over 200 articles about cleaning, organization, DIY repairs, and household hacks on this site! A few have over 2M shares; many others have over 100K shares.
That is true about cleaning and decluttering. peoples first impression of you home is a big one and will stick with them. Many people can’t over look the clutter to see the true beauty of your home.
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.
I do home improvement type work and one of the most requested thing I do is lighting. After adding new lighting the customers are always amazed at how much better there home looks.
That is indeed true about decluttering. It is essential for people to read this article to gain insights about home maintenance.