What Adds the Most Value to a Home in Ankeny?
If you're thinking about selling your home in Ankeny, you may be wondering whether you should make improvements before putting it on the market.
Should you remodel the kitchen? Finish the basement? Replace the flooring? Or would you be better off leaving the home as-is?
The answer depends on your home, its price point, its current condition and the other homes you'll be competing against.
One of the biggest misconceptions about preparing a home for sale is that every improvement adds its full cost to the home's value. That's rarely how it works.
Instead, the goal should be to focus on improvements that increase your home's marketability, buyer appeal and overall value without over-improving for your neighborhood or price range.
Here are some of the features and improvements that can make the biggest difference when selling a home in Ankeny.
1. A Kitchen That Feels Updated
You don't necessarily need a complete kitchen remodel to make a difference.
In fact, if you're planning to sell soon, spending tens of thousands of dollars on a brand-new kitchen may not be the best use of your money.
Instead, look for the features that make your existing kitchen feel clean, current and functional.
Depending on the home, that could include:
Updated countertops
Stainless steel appliances
New cabinet hardware
Updated lighting
A new backsplash
Fresh paint
Updated flooring
A functional island or breakfast bar
If your cabinets are in good condition but dated, even smaller cosmetic changes can dramatically change how the kitchen photographs and feels during a showing.
The key is knowing your competition.
If buyers shopping in your price range are seeing updated kitchens in nearly every comparable home, an extremely dated kitchen can become a bigger objection.
2. Finished Basement Space
In Ankeny, finished lower-level space can be a major selling feature.
A finished basement can give buyers the additional living space they're looking for without requiring a larger footprint upstairs.
Depending on the layout, a finished lower level might provide:
A second family room
Additional bedrooms
A bathroom
A home office
A workout space
A playroom
A wet bar or entertaining area
Additional storage
However, simply finishing a basement doesn't automatically guarantee a dollar-for-dollar return.
The quality and functionality of the finished space matter.
A bright, professionally finished lower level with good ceiling height, appropriate egress and a functional layout will typically appeal to buyers more than a poorly planned DIY finish.
3. An Additional Bedroom or Bathroom
Bedroom and bathroom count can have a meaningful impact on a home's marketability.
This is especially true when adding a bedroom or bathroom moves your property into a different category for buyers searching online.
For example, turning usable lower-level space into a legal fourth bedroom may make the home appealing to buyers who wouldn't consider a three-bedroom property.
The same can be true for bathrooms.
Adding a functional bathroom—particularly in a finished basement or near additional bedrooms—can make the entire floor plan more useful.
Before investing in either, however, make sure the space can meet the appropriate requirements to be marketed the way you intend.
4. Updated Flooring
Flooring is one of those features buyers notice almost immediately.
Worn carpet, damaged flooring or several different flooring styles throughout the main level can make an otherwise well-maintained home feel dated.
Depending on the home and price point, replacing worn carpet or installing consistent flooring through the main living areas can make a significant visual difference.
But don't automatically replace every floor before selling.
If the existing flooring is neutral and in good condition, your money may be better spent somewhere else.
5. Fresh, Neutral Paint
Paint is one of the simplest ways to change how a home feels without taking on a major renovation.
Fresh paint can make rooms feel:
Cleaner
Brighter
Larger
Better maintained
More cohesive
You don't have to remove every bit of personality from your home, but extremely bold or highly specific colors can make it harder for some buyers to picture themselves in the space.
Before listing, we often recommend focusing first on rooms with damaged walls, noticeable wear or colors that may distract buyers.
6. Curb Appeal
Buyers begin forming an opinion before they ever walk through the front door.
That's why exterior maintenance and curb appeal shouldn't be overlooked.
You don't necessarily need elaborate landscaping.
Simple improvements can make a big difference:
Fresh mulch
Trimmed landscaping
A healthy, maintained lawn
Clean siding
Fresh exterior paint where needed
Updated exterior lighting
A clean front porch
A freshly painted front door
Clean windows
The goal is to make the property look cared for.
Deferred exterior maintenance can also cause buyers to wonder what other maintenance may have been postponed inside the home.
7. Outdoor Living Space
Iowa homeowners only get so many months of ideal outdoor weather—which can make a great outdoor space even more appealing.
Decks, patios, fenced yards and usable backyard spaces can help differentiate one home from another.
Again, you don't necessarily need to build an elaborate outdoor kitchen before selling.
Sometimes simply power washing an existing deck, staining it, cleaning up the landscaping and staging the patio with outdoor furniture can completely change how buyers perceive the space.
8. Updated Major Systems
A brand-new furnace may not generate the same excitement in listing photos as a remodeled kitchen, but major mechanical updates can still matter to buyers.
These include:
Roof
HVAC
Water heater
Windows
Electrical systems
Plumbing
Buyers often look at these items when determining how much additional money they may need to spend after purchasing the home.
A house with an older roof, aging HVAC and dated windows may still sell—but buyers may factor those future expenses into what they're willing to pay.
If you've recently replaced major components, make sure your real estate agent knows so those updates can be highlighted in your marketing.
9. A Functional Home Office or Flex Space
Today's buyers often appreciate rooms that can serve more than one purpose.
A den, office, loft, finished basement room or extra bedroom can provide flexibility for working from home, hobbies, homework or guests.
You don't necessarily need to remodel to create one.
Sometimes staging an awkward or unused area with a clear purpose helps buyers understand how they could use the space.
10. Overall Condition and Maintenance
This may be the most overlooked way to protect the value of your home.
Buyers notice maintenance.
Loose door handles, damaged trim, burned-out light bulbs, dripping faucets, stained carpet and unfinished projects may individually seem minor.
Together, they can create the impression that a home hasn't been well cared for.
Before spending thousands of dollars on renovations, it can make sense to address the smaller maintenance items throughout the home first.
A clean, well-maintained property often shows better than a partially remodeled home with obvious unfinished projects.
What Should You NOT Update Before Selling?
This is just as important as knowing what to improve.
If you're planning to sell, be careful about taking on expensive projects simply because you've heard they "add value."
That might include:
A complete kitchen remodel
A luxury bathroom renovation
Extensive custom landscaping
Highly personalized finishes
Expensive smart-home technology
Major additions
These improvements aren't necessarily bad.
The question is whether you'll get enough additional value from the improvement to justify doing it immediately before selling.
If you spend $50,000 remodeling your kitchen and your home only sells for $20,000 more because of it, that wasn't necessarily a good pre-sale investment.
The Most Important Question: What Are Buyers Comparing Your Home To?
This is where local market knowledge becomes especially important.
Imagine two similar homes are going to be listed in the same Ankeny neighborhood.
One has a completely updated kitchen, newer flooring and a finished basement.
The other has its original kitchen, worn carpet and an unfinished basement.
The right pricing and preparation strategy for those two homes isn't going to be the same.
Before recommending improvements, we look at the homes buyers will see alongside yours.
What has recently sold?
What's currently for sale?
What condition are those homes in?
What features do they offer?
What price range will your home compete in?
That's much more useful than following a generic list of "best home improvements."
Should You Renovate Before Selling Your Ankeny Home?
Sometimes yes.
Sometimes absolutely not.
One of the best things you can do is talk to a real estate agent before starting your pre-sale projects.
We would much rather walk through your home before you spend the money and tell you which improvements are likely to matter—and which ones we'd skip.
You may discover that your money would be better spent on paint, carpet and landscaping than a major remodel.
Or you may find that your home is already competitive exactly as it is.
Thinking About Selling Your Home in Ankeny?
At the Hokel Real Estate Team, we help Ankeny homeowners look at their home through the eyes of today's buyers.
We'll evaluate your home's condition, recent comparable sales and current competition to help you determine what—if anything—is worth updating before you list.
Because the goal isn't to spend the most money preparing your home.
It's to spend money in the places that will make the biggest difference when it's time to sell.
Thinking about selling your Ankeny home? Contact the Hokel Real Estate Team to schedule a home-selling consultation before you start your pre-listing projects.