Based on survey responses, HomeGain.com developed a Prepare To Sell study with cost and expected benefit information for lower-priced improvements. The 10 most cost-effective improvements for sellers are listed below.

Improvement	Typical Cost	Increase Sale Price	Average Return/Gain after Costs	% Agts Who Recommend
Lighten & Brighten	$86-$110	$768-$935	769%	84%
Clean & Declutter	$305-$339	$2,093-$2,378	584%	91%
Fix Plumbing & Electical	$338-$381	$922-$1,208	196%	63%
Landscape & trim	$432-$506	$1,594-$1,839	266%	72%
Staging	$812-$1,089	$2,275-$2,841	169%	76%
Paint Interior Walls	$1,453 - $1,588	$2,342 - $2,600	63%	69%
Kitchen/Bath Upgrades	$1,545 - $2,120	$3823 - $4,885	138%	83%
Repair Flooring	$1,531 - $1,714	$2,267 - $2,589	50%	62%
Paint Exterior Walls	$2,188 - 2,381	$2,907 - $3,233	34%	57%
Replace Carpeting	$2,602 - $2,765	$3,585 - $3,900	39%	65%
* Typical home characteristics for U.S. agents responding: 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,892 square feet, sale price of $201,798. (May 2000.)
** Here is what is really striking about these survey results: Something as simple as about a $100 spent on lighten/brightening a home can product a 769% return on that cost, and only 84% of the surveyed agents recommend it! Why? $300 spent to clean & declutter a home brings a PROFIT of 584%, and 9% of agents survey said "nah - don't bother." Why not? $450 spent on landscaping will return a profit on this minor investment of 266%, and 28% of their agents don't recommend it! WHY NOT? Want a clean copy to print without these comments? Click here and print page out for your listing presentation book.