With so many homes on the market, you need to make sure that yours stands out for buyers. When selling your property, there are some important steps that if taken, will make your home the most appealing and desirable in any crowd of competitors. Follow the suggestions below and your home will sell faster and for the highest possible price!
Separate from the Home
I am going to start with what is probably the hardest thing to do for most sellers: getting into the right mindset. Before you can sell your home or condo, you need to truly let go of the property, and look to the future. Remind yourself of the reasons you are selling, and that the property is simply a business deal. Doing this will make the process much easier.
Remember, despite what you may think, your home is not perfect. It is not the most wonderful house on the market in that price range. Buyer’s all have different taste. Don’t be upset if one buyer doesn’t like a certain part of your home. Just keep reminding yourself it is just a house.
Curb Appeal
You only get one chance to make a first impression. Keep the exterior of your property trim, tidy, and inviting. There are many simple ways to improve the exterior of your home:
1. Mow the lawn, trim the bushes, weed, and edge.
2. Make sure that the shrubs and trees are full of life. Do this by watering them regularly, and possibly replacing them with more colorful and vibrant plants.
3. Pressure wash the sidewalks, driveway, curb, and exterior of the property.
4. Make sure the front door is clean and easy to open. The last thing you want is a buyer’s agent standing outside with their client fighting to open a dirty door (trust me this happens all the time).
Clean Your House
Sounds obvious, I know. However, everyone’s idea of clean is very different. One thing many people overlook is an odor that them and their family are used to. This could be very distracting to buyers and can turn them off to the property immediately.
1. Vacuum carpets and clean hardwood & tile floors. Have your carpet professionally cleaned if it needs it..
2. Make sure the entire house smells fresh. Odor is a major turn off to potential buyers.
3. The kitchen and all bathrooms need to be cleaned thoroughly, including toilets, tubs, showers, floors, and mirrors.
4. Clean windows inside and out, make sure you get both the glass and the frames.
5. Dust EVERYTHING. Including the baseboards, ceiling fans, lighting fixtures, shelves, and blinds.
6. Make the beds everyday.
7. Pick up clothing, shoes, etc.
8. Hang up fresh towels in each bathroom and the kitchen.
De-clutter the House
The easiest way to do this is to start packing! Don’t let too much clutter block the buyer from seeing what they should be buying. Simplifying spaces within the house allows the buyer to visualize their furniture, their paint colors, etc. Also, by removing excess clutter, regular cleaning and keeping everything tidy becomes a breeze! You may need to rent a storage unit. In the end it will be well worth it when the house sells faster and at a higher price.
1. If you don’t need it, pack it up, sell it, or throw it away! Any items that you do not use on a regular basis need to be removed.
2. Remove all unnecessary items from countertops, tables, and floors. These items make the house feel cluttered and also appear smaller.
3. Clean out closets. Buyers WILL look into your closets, so remove unwanted clothing and shoes. Organize everything that is left so the closet looks as large and spacious as possible.
4. Remove personal items such as photos, books, magazines, and knick knacks.
5. Remove any furniture that may be blocking or hampering walkways. Open areas that flow nicely are much more appealing to buyers than cramped or awkward spaces.
Make Minor Repairs
Eliminate drawbacks before a potential buyer even sees them. Any small items that take little effort to fix. Even the smallest thing may effect how much a buyer offers on a property.
1. Replace cracked floor tiles or counter tiles.
2. Patch and paint holes in walls.
3. Fix leaking faucets.
4. Fix all doors that don’t close properly and kitchen drawers that don’t function as they should.
5. Replace burned-out light bulbs.
Paint & Wallpaper
Give buyers a clean canvas for them to see all they can do to make your house their home. Pay special attention to bathrooms and the kitchen.. These are the rooms that really sell a house! Make sure that they are desirable to people with all kinds of taste!
Paint
1. Paint with neutral colors. Don’t give buyers any reason to remember your home as “the house with the purple kitchen.”
2. Remove busy or outdated wallpaper, and repaint walls that are not clean. You don’t want buyers referring to your house as the one with the NASCAR wallpaper any more than the house with the purple kitchen.
Lighting
A bright and airy home is an inviting home that will welcome buyers much more than a dark and dreary home. More light makes a room to feel larger as well. So be sure to follow these tips:
1. Turn on all lights and open all the blinds anytime your home is being shown.
2. Update fixtures if necessary. Old or outdated fixtures can add more to the mental list of work buyers will have to do if they buy, which will negatively affect the amount of their offer.
Garage & Attic Space
Your garage is for your car, not for storing all of your junk! Box up unused items and put them in your attic or storage space. Straighten shelves, organize bins, paint the walls, and sweep the floor. Let the buyer see how much room there is for their car, and all their stuff!
Stage Your Home
Organize the furniture in each room to create as much space as possible. Also, every room needs to be staged for its intended use. It is not good to have the buyer wondering what rooms are supposed to be used for. If you have trouble doing this, hire a professional.
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If you want to sell your home quickly and for the highest possible price, follow the steps above. I can assure you that one of your neighbors is – and their home will sell before yours and at a higher price. If you commit to completing the steps above you will allow yourself an easier, much quicker, more profitable, and less stressful selling process!