How do I maximize my home's value before selling?
Written and reviewed by Andrew Ragusa, Licensed Real Estate Broker and Broker of Record, REMI Realty LLC — 11+ years of transactions across Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens.
The short answer
Before looking for improvements that could add value, I want to understand whether anything is weakening the value the home already has. That includes visible functional concerns, missing features and unfinished repairs that may raise questions for buyers or other professionals involved in the sale.
Then we can consider optional improvements using recent comparable sales, realistic costs and your timeline. Sometimes targeted repair work to protect the property’s function and your negotiating position is the most useful conversation. Read Can small repairs or missing features affect my home’s appraisal? for a specific example.
One national HomeLight survey of roughly 1,000 real estate agents estimated that painting a home’s exterior could add more than $7,500 in resale value, equal to a 152% return on the estimated cost. That is a national survey estimate, not a promise. I would not apply that percentage automatically to every house or use it to justify a $20,000 or $30,000 project without looking at the property, the market and whether a smaller repair or touch-up would accomplish the same thing.
Interior painting can also help.
The most effective approach is always a personalized walkthrough where I point out exactly what makes sense for your individual home based on current buyer expectations across the Long Island market.
Two documented examples
30 Columbine Lane, Kings Park
A family-coordinated distressed property where the as-is option (estimated value was $380,000-$400,000) was compared with an estimated $50,000 in restoration and repairs. Ultimately the house sold for $795,000 after they chose to make improvements.
See the Kings Park case study →Jackson Heights co-op
An apartment owner who received no showing requests due to overpricing and poor condition decided to make repairs. After targeted renovations, it returned to the market at $257,000 and sold for $267,000.
See the Jackson Heights case study →