Guest Blog Post by HomeAdvisor

With homes going on the market every day in waves, sellers need to make upgrades to help theirs stand out from others to prospective buyers. Whether they are small improvements like a fresh coat of paint and new windows or more extensive upgrades, make sure your home looks absolutely amazing when buyers do a walk-through.

Need some ideas on where to start in your home? Here are some upgrades that are trending in real estate right now that might capture buyer attention:

1. Upgrading the water heater or furnace

If your water heater or furnace is particularly outdated or rundown, this could be a good opportunity to upgrade it to be energy efficient before the next homeowner moves in. By spending around $1,200 on an energy efficient gas water heater, you can pitch the investment as a maximum of almost $150 in annual gas costs according to Energy Star. While this isn’t a cheap investment, it will significantly increase the appeal of your home to buyers as compared to other homes because you’re thinking of their needs in the long-term. (image via ENERGY STAR)

2. Certifying the roof

To ease prospective buyer’s minds about investing in your home, it’s a good idea to have your roof certified by a roof inspector ahead of time. Roof inspectors, licensed by the National Roof Certification and Inspection Association (NRCIA), can quickly look over your roof in an afternoon and certify your roof for a varying number of years. The process only costs about $250 to $400, but it ensures that a buyer knows the roof is fine and won’t need to be replaced.

3. Faucet fixtures

Another easy upgrade for sellers is to put in new faucet fixtures throughout the kitchen and bathroom. Like the energy efficient gas water heaters, this is a good opportunity to install energy efficient faucets that show forethought for your buyers. By calling in a plumber to install them, you will save time and effort and have shiny new faucets to display to buyers as a selling point in at least two major rooms of the home. (image via rjkielty.com)

4. Wood floor refinishing

Over time, hardwood floors in rooms like the kitchen, dining room and living room have probably accumulated scuff marks, scratches and other signs of wear. Instead of replacing entire boards or uprooting the floor, it will be easier and more cost-efficient to invest in refinishing. The wood floor will look as new as the day it was installed and buyers will notice a newly added appeal to the home.

5. Stainless steel appliances

If you live in an older home with outdated kitchen appliances, there’s a good chance you’ll need to update them before a sale. While you can leave the smaller appliances to the homebuyer, there are stainless steel appliance packages that can be as cheap as $2,000 or $1000 in black or white. This includes the stove, oven, built-in microwave and range. If you have a sink that’s not stainless steel, you might want to consider replacing it to match the rest of the stainless steel appliances in the kitchen as well. (See more of this Coldwell Banker Listing)

Read more home selling tips and resources.

Andrea Davis is the editor at HomeAdvisor, which connects homeowners with home improvement professionals in their area for free. Connect with Andrea on Google+.