Buying a home is a major life decision, but so is selling one. Any number of reasons might prompt you to sell your home, such as job relocation, moving closer to extended family, wanting to reside within a certain school district for your children, wanting to downsize or upsize, and more. One of your primary goals will undoubtedly be to move your home through the market in the swiftest manner possible.
No one wants to buy a house that needs a ton of work, unless, of course, it’s a buyer who earns income from restoring and flipping houses. The average home buyer wants to have to do as little work as possible on a new house. Buyers want to choose a home, make an offer and close the deal. There are several things you should always do before putting the “For Sale” sign up in your yard.
Deep clean your house from top to bottom
Whether you do the work yourself or hire a cleaning service, you shouldn’t even think of selling, unless your house is sparkling clean. Especially if you’ve lived in your house for many years, as a homeowner, you might not notice dirt, bad smells or clutter as easy as someone might who is seeing the house for the first time. You’ll increase the likelihood of gaining offers on your home if it is top-notch clean.
One way to boost a clean look around your house is to de-clutter by packing up things you don’t need to use every day. This also puts you a step ahead of the game because you won’t have to pack everything at the last minute. When you’re cleaning, don’t just “surface” clean. Make sure closets, drawers, the basement and the garage are clean too because people will be looking into all of these places.
Update and add lighting throughout the interior and exterior of your home
Poor lighting is a downfall when your goal is to make your home look attractive to potential buyers. If you don’t have it already, consider adding under-cabinet lighting in your kitchen as well as ample lighting outdoors for evenings. Also add lights to any specific area of the home that you want to highlight as people take their tours.
Stage the home for showings
You can create a welcoming and cozy ambience in your home if you set the table and add a vase of fresh flowers. There’s something about a table that’s been set that feels inviting to guests. Nicely folded bath towels or some soft, instrumental music playing in the background can also help set a tone that might lead to offers.
Give your walls a fresh coat of neutral-colored paint
Nothing brightens up a home and makes it look clean quite like a fresh coat of paint on the walls. When people come to tour your home, you want them to picture themselves living in it, so the best color schemes are the ones that have neutral tones, like gray, eggshell, light mocha, etc. It’s important to make sure there is no chipping paint anywhere in the house. It’s also a good idea to tone things down if you have a lot of bold or bright colors on the walls.
Make necessary repairs
It’s logical to assume that no one is going to make an offer on a home that’s in grave disrepair. If there are major repairs needed, such as fixing a roof that leaks, it’s best to do it before putting the house on the market. Otherwise, you can bet that it will become a negotiation marker for a buyer.
When making repairs, check for things like worn or torn carpeting, tile floors that are coming loose, or a fireplace and chimney that need to be fixed to make it functional again.
Ask for recommendations from an experienced agent
An experienced real estate agent can tell you what sells and what doesn’t. If you ask an agent to tour your home, he or she can give you a professional opinion as to how “sellable” it is at this time. With guidance and support, you can work together to get your home in tip top shape for the market.