Five areas of your home that can improve it's resale value

There are several things that a homeowner can do to improve the resale value of their home before placing it on the market. Upgrading or refinishing these five critical areas, as well as a few general good practices, can dramatically increase your home's resale value.

1) The Exterior
The first thing a potential home buyer will see is the exterior of the home. This presents a great opportunity to make an excellent first impression. An inviting yard will immediately make the home more desirable.

Get rid of any trash or debris in the yard and keep the lawn mowed and edged. A well kept lawn is a must. Trim the hedges and pull the weeds. Mulch the flower beds, and if you don't have flowers consider investing in some.

2) The Kitchen
The kitchen is the first place that a potential buyer will look. For many cultures life revolves around the kitchen, and many women still consider the kitchen as one of the most important factors when deciding on one house over another.

If the kitchen is small or dark give the cabinets a touch up with a light finish. A bright finish on your cabinets makes the kitchen appear more open and brighter.

The focal point of the kitchen is the kitchen sink. Particularly if you have an older sink, with a single or shallow basin, replacing the sink is a must. Invest in a double basin, deep sink. Undermount kitchen sinks add style to the kitchen, they are sleek and bold.  Stainless steel kitchen sinks have a modern look and are very practical.

Both can be found at retailers that offer discount kitchen sinks, saving you money on the project. Installing these sinks will give your kitchen a modern and gorgeous, yet practical feel.

Finally, in the kitchen redo the countertops by purchasing a small three inch roller and applying two coats of catalyzed epoxy. If the counters appear worn this will make them look like new and give them the appearance of a textured surface.

3) Interior Walls
Sometimes cleaning the walls simply isn't enough. A fresh painting is always a good idea and will make your walls look like new. To get started patch up any dents or holes no matter how small. Caulk all cracks and run a small bead of caulk on top of the base boards. Damp finger wipe the bead to get a smooth finish.

Two coats of paint will always look the best, no matter the quality of the paint. The first coat is a primer, allow it to dry and lightly sand the walls with a 220 grit sandpaper. Use a damp cloth to pick up all the sanding dust. Then apply the second coat. For the best, professional results use two coats of semi-gloss latex paint.

Wood trim and cornicing will also give the home a modern, classy look. Ceiling trim and armchair railing will compliment the newly painted walls.

4) Floors
Clean the carpets so that they look like new. If you cannot achieve the desired results consider hiring a professional to do them. Perfectly clean, like new carpets will make a huge difference when showing the home.

Hardwood flooring is back in style. If you have carpet and it is worn and beyond cleaning, cut a small piece from a closet corner. If the floor is in good condition you could pull the carpet and refinish the floors. This could very well also save you money.

5) Outlets and Switches
Replace old outlets and switches. New, modern switches can typically be replaced easily and inexpensively using existing wiring. If you are going to do the electrical work yourself remember to shut off the power first.

New switches and outlets add elegance to the home, and make the electrical wiring appear newer than it really is.

Improving these five areas of the home will give you the most bang for your buck, improving the resale value of your home. Additionally, remember to keep the home clutter free, it will make the home appear more spacious. Give the windows a good cleaning so that they appear flawless. Put in higher wattage light bulbs so that your potential buyer can see how great everything looks.

If your home is in a hot and humid climate install ceiling fans. These can be very inexpensive and help improve the homes energy efficiency, increasing it's perceived value.

Finally, consider having a professional floor plan company come in and reassess your homes square footage. This can cost a few hundred dollars, but often the home will be assessed higher than what is on record. Since homes sell for hundreds of dollars per square foot this service can easily pay for itself.

Author's Bio: Cedric Crumbley lives in Des Moines, IA with his beautiful new bride Angelica. He enjoys running and the written word and is the publisher of eminent-kitchen-sinks.com. Growing up he never used a dish washer and instead kept the dishes clean by washing them in the kitchen sink. His admiration for kitchen sinks has lasted to this day.

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