Three easy ways to update your home before selling

Key insights

• When selling your home, you’ll want to make some improvements to help it look its best, both online and in person.
• By starting with interior paint and lighting updates, you can ensure your home appeals to a higher number of potential buyers.
• With a few curb appeal projects, including landscaping or tree cutting, plus exterior lighting and house numbers, you can help it shine from the outside, too.

Ready to sell your home for top dollar? While you’ll want to minimize how much time and money you spend updating your home before you list it for sale, it’s typically not wise to sell your home “as-is.” With some strategic updates, you can improve your home’s appeal — and hopefully the offers you receive, as well!

1. Repaint your home’s interior

This is the first job on any homeowner's to-do list for a reason! A fresh coat of paint is a low-cost, high-impact way to improve the look of your entire home. To determine your paint strategy, walk into the front door of your home and pay attention to the sight lines.

If your home has a smaller footprint, it can help to use the same paint color across multiple rooms — the continuity can help it look more spacious. If you have larger rooms with high ceilings, mixing up the colors from room to room is a chic option.

Regardless of how many new paint colors you select, stick to warm, neutral colors that will invite buyers in. You may even want to experiment with Mocha Mousse, a warm brown tone that Pantone named its 2025 Color of the Year. Colder, darker or more vibrant colors may be a turnoff to buyers who are hoping to view a clean slate that they can make their own.

2. Update aging fixtures and hardware

Next, take a look at the light fixtures and hardware around your home, including things like doorknobs, drawer pulls, ceiling fans and faucets. No matter how fresh your paint is, aging fixtures and hardware can be a dead giveaway for a house that hasn’t been updated for a decade or longer.

These elements are also relatively easy and inexpensive to replace. If you’re pressed for money or time, focus on the kitchen. By replacing the pulls on your cabinets and drawers to a brushed metal, you can provide an instant update. It should also be easy to find a matching or complementary light fixture and faucet in the same finish, giving the space a cohesive look on a tight budget.

Keep in mind that these pieces can be expensive if purchased separately or from boutique interior design shops. Keep those shops in mind for your next home. For now, visit home design outlets or big box stores for the best deals on matching hardware and fixtures for the home you’re about to sell.

3. Improve your home’s exterior

Don’t forget about first impressions. Whether buyers are coming for a midday open house or an evening showing, you’ll want your home to stand out. (The worst-case scenario is that they drive past it without noticing it… even with the sign in the yard!)

As with our other tips, there are ways to improve your home’s exterior or curb appeal, without spending tens of thousands of dollars.

Exterior lights can go a long way. The bare minimum is to have a light near the front door for easy accessibility, but a better plan is to add lighting along all walkways to ensure it provides a warm and inviting vibe from the street or driveway. Many solar-powered options exist now, so you won’t have to worry about wiring or connecting them to outlets.

If your home’s hedges and trees are overgrown, give them a nice haircut so that the full exterior of the home is more visible.

Finally, drive by to test out how difficult it is to see your home’s address numerals from the street. Larger, modern numbers are available at most home improvement stores and can be a chic way to create a more updated look.

Not sure where to start?

Remember, you don’t have to go it alone! By working with a professional, local Edina Realty REALTOR®, you can learn the value of your home today and the exact updates they’d recommend to list your home for even more. Get in touch today to be connected with a professional who can help you keep moving forward.