Gen X is juggling some interesting decisions and responsibilities right now - and a lot of them may come down to:

A big chunk of us are living as ‘The Sandwich Generation’ - having a parent 65+ and either raising at least one child younger than 18 or providing financial support to an adult child.

In fact, a whopping 54% of Americans in their 40s and 36% in their 50s reported being the peanut butter in that sandwich. (Source: Pew Research)

At the same time, many of us are reaching ‘Empty Nester’ status, where we finally have everyone out of the house, and may be in a great position to cash out our home equity by downsizing.

29% of Gen X is reportedly considering a job change this year.

And another group of Gen X is crunching numbers and realizing that, even with an aging parent and/or kids in the house, relocating somewhere more affordable is a better bet for our budgets - with tens of thousands of us relocating to warmer climates and more affordability in Florida, Texas, the Carolinas and Nevada.

It’s clear that we’re ready for some big moves.

And that means making sure you’ll get the most money out of your house when you’re ready to go.

With everything on your plate, the last thing you want to think about is doing practical home reno projects to boost the equity you may not even touch for a few years.

But hear us out!

Factoring in and budgeting for small, DIY and inexpensive home projects over the year or years before you plan on selling your current home will add up - and the amount of equity you can build in your home without dropping huge amounts of money will pay off when you list.

This is where you can really push up market value. The best thing about this is that some remodeling can be immediately advantageous to your lifestyle, or just plain necessary. When it comes to selling your house, strategic remodeling can make the difference in actually closing.

If your bathroom or kitchen floors are repulsive, that’s a good place to start. Kitchen countertops are another soft target.

What goes on behind the scenes, like plumbing and electric work, is normally expensive and hard to see. So, focus on these areas first:

You don’t need to update all the utilities in your home to build equity. But cleaning up any deficiencies or eyesores can give you more bang for your buck.

Luxurious remodeling jobs are not often so efficient. An indoor spa may increase your home’s value, but it won’t be efficient. Deck remodeling, sunrooms, and extravagant kitchen and bathroom remodeling have a similar effect.

Kitchen cabinets are the place to start. If you don’t want to spend too much, you can paint/stain them instead of buying new ones. Prefabbed options can also be quite cheap. (Check out IKEA’s a cool virtual kitchen remodel program.)

Ceiling fans are appealing to homebuyers and appraisers. They are the cheapest option for cooling your home, adding immense lifetime value. They can cut down on AC costs significantly, and can even circulate warm air from some ceilings, cutting heating costs as well.

This also includes paint, but you need to pay attention to details like outdated coloring, scratches, dirt, or fading wallpaper. The materials needed to address these issues are inexpensive and you should be able to do it all yourself.

This includes driveways, walls, walkways, patios, and other applicable surfaces.

Depending on their current state, you may be surprised how new and fresh they look after a powerful cleaning session.

Read the whole article, and all 8 Ways to Boost Home Equity👇

There are multiple definitions of ‘Empty Nester’ - ranging from vague to extremely detailed.