6. Update Plumbing

Matt: If you have old, rusty iron pipes and fear that you have ingested enough metal in your drinking water to build a small ship, you might want to consider replacing the plumbing.  Believe it or not, an appraiser takes the plumbing into heavy consideration when assigning the value to a home.  Back in the day, it used to be a huge undertaking with walls being torn up and drywall flying everywhere.  Nowadays though,  re-piping is usually done with PEX (basically plastic tubing) that is extremely reliable and can be run through your walls like an extension cord.  This means less holes and a lot less mess.  It also means less money spent on materials and labor.  Heavy metal should be only used to describe music and not the water in your home.

Nicole: Yes, yes — it is all about the guts.  No sense in putting good money into a home when the mechanics are bad.  This is a win-win situation.  The scariest thing for new owners is the thought that something huge like plumbing or electrical will need work.  Plus, people always think these updates cost much more than they actually do.

5. Engineered or Real-Wood Floors

Matt:  Notice I wrote "engineered or real" and not laminate.  People are getting very educated when it comes to wood floors.  They can sniff out the cheap laminate stuff. 

Nicole: I only half agree — I am still not totally sold on engineered flooring.  I deal with real products only. And honestly, shopping around at liquidation centers or salvage yards, my real hardwood floors always come out cheaper than new engineered products.  Oak flooring can be picked up for cheap and you can dress it up with different stain.