By Amy Stockberger
Founder of Amy Stockberger Real Estate.

Selling a home in Sioux Falls is different than selling almost anywhere else in the country. Our market moves fast. Buyers know what they want. Inventory is tight in most price ranges — and homes that show well, photograph well, and feel finished sell for top dollar.

After years of watching what works in this market, we have a short list of upgrades that consistently pay off when sellers invest in them before listing. Some are obvious. One is on the list for reasons most homeowners never consider.

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Buyers walk into a home and decide within 60 seconds whether the home feels finished or tired. Fresh paint in modern, neutral colors is the single highest-return upgrade you can make before listing. Greige, warm white, and soft natural tones work best in our market.

Skip bold accent walls and trendy colors. Buyers are not looking for a personality. They are looking for a blank slate they can imagine living in.

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Full kitchen remodels rarely return their full cost at sale. Smart cabinet upgrades do. Painting existing cabinets in a modern color, replacing hardware, and updating lighting transforms a tired kitchen for a fraction of a full remodel cost.

Buyers in the $300,000+ range expect updated kitchens. Sellers who deliver get full asking and faster offers.

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This is the upgrade most sellers overlook — and the one we recommend most often. A coated garage floor signals a finished, well-maintained home the moment a buyer pulls into the driveway. Bare gray concrete, or worse, a peeling paint job, signals deferred maintenance before anyone even walks inside.

Polyaspartic floor coatings install in a single day. The garage is walkable in 4 hours. Sellers can get this done in the final week before listing photos.

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A finished basement adds significant square footage in Sioux Falls homes — and buyers count every inch in their value calculation. The floor is the foundation of that finished space. A polished or coated basement floor instantly raises the perceived quality of the lower level and lets the home compete with newer construction.

If your basement is unfinished but the floor is clean and coated, buyers see possibility — not a project they have to take on themselves. We recommend All Around Surfaces for basement floor coating and polishing as part of pre-listing prep.

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The first photo on every listing is the front of the home. The first impression at a showing is the front porch. A new front door, modern outdoor lighting, fresh paint on the trim, and clean landscaping changes the entire feel of the property — in photos and in person.

This is one of the cheapest upgrades on the list and one of the most visible.

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Why Epoxy Flooring Belongs on This List

Most resale lists focus on kitchens, bathrooms, and curb appeal. Garage and basement floor finishing rarely make the cut — even though both are visible to every buyer who walks through the home.

Three reasons we put epoxy flooring on our list:

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How Our Clients Get Started

Our team makes the introduction to our trusted Home Support Team partners as part of every listing prep conversation. For epoxy flooring, decorative concrete coating, or basement floor work, we connect you to All Around Surfaces directly.

Greg and his team handle the inspection, written quote, and full installation — with priority scheduling for Amy Stockberger Real Estate clients.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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