Every homeowner wants to increase the value of his or her home. Whether you’re planning to sell your home tomorrow or five years from now, making the most out of your investment is always a financially prudent move.

Here are 4 tried and true techniques to help you get the most out of your home quickly:

Make aesthetic tweaks to your bathroom

Rather than tackling your kitchen, make updates to your bathroom. It’s smaller, and likely will require less work and money out of pocket. To really maximize your dollar, focus on small aesthetic changes – upgrade the light fixture, the vanity mirror, perhaps paint that out-of-date green tile with a fresh new white. Bathroom renovations average a 62% ROI, and even scaled down upgrades like re-glazing a tub, rather than getting a brand new one will save you money while providing a fresh, upgraded look to your room.

 

Hire a seller’s agent with the best list-to-close success

There is a science and an art to pricing homes. And whether it’s ending your price with a ‘9’ or pricing just under market for multiple bids, a seasoned agent knows the right strategy suitable for your neighborhood’s particular market. Part of determining the effectiveness of your listing agent is comparing their history of sales to the total number of homes they’ve listed.  This ‘list to close’ ratio tells you how many homes they’ve successfully sold.  A great listing agent will have a list-to-close ration upwards of 85%. By examining this ratio and the agent’s pricing strategy you’ll be able to determine whether or not your listing agent is effective at maximizing a home’s value for their past clients – and their potential to do the same for you.

 

Update your front door

A front door is instant equity. It sets the tone for buyers because it’s one of the first things a buyer sees. Good first impressions go a long way. According to Remodling Magazine changing your door is the number one upgrade based on return on investment. Even if you’re not up for splurging on a new solid steel door, painting the door a new en-vogue color can do wonders. Small fixes such as these can dramatically enhance your home’s curb appeal, because of what they do for your home’s first impression – it is one of the best bets for home-sellers to increase value.

 

Paint your kitchen cabinets

The kitchen is a room that can really wow. But let’s be honest, but full kitchen remodels are time-consuming and costly. For a small change with a huge impact, try freshening up the heart of your home by refinishing your cabinets. Whether you choose a new coat of paint or a fresh stain, a new color in the kitchen will infuse the room with new life making you feel as if you swapped out your kitchen cabinets entirely. Before you decide which look to go with for your cabinets, check out some popular open houses to get a feel for current trends in your neighborhood.

Author Bio: Marni Epstein-Mervis is a real estate and architecture journalist whose work has been featured in Curbed, Yahoo, Huffington Post, and ArchDaily. Marni is Editor at Agent Ace, a free service empowering homebuyers and sellers with the tools to identify real estate agents in their area with the most expertise.