Updates to your home can mean big money losses...

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...if they are done incorrectly! If you are planning on selling your home down the road but need some updates and upgrades to make it more selling ready - think first! Curb appeal in a city setting is important - so put some money into what the buyer sees first - the front of your home. Clean and paint or stain the porch, throw away the trash and keep things tidy. Mow the lawn and get rid of dead plants. But more important is what the buyers want inside - there are two rooms that sell a home or don't sell it - the kitchen and bathrooms. If you can't update your bathroom's fixtures - at least add a coat of fresh paint and buy some decent towels. Keep the room spotless for showings. If your kitchen is terribly out of date with ugly cabinets and everything is outdated, think what the buyers may want to see. Picture people walking through your home saying things like, "Oh my, who picked those horrible colors?" While green and orange may be your favorite colors, they will turn potential buyers off. Use neutral colors and spend your money wisely. Putting a expensive granite or quartz counter top on old, ugly counters is a waste of money, your money. The next guy is going to come in and replace those cabinets and redesign the kitchen and there goes the granite. Think - step back and see through your mind's eye what the finished product will look like. Use neutral colors when you can. Design your space so that the next guy will fall in love with it or at least see the potential. It's hard to get beyond dark ugly colors when you are house hunting. I know, I've been there.