Take the stress out of listing your home with our tips for preparing your home for sale. Making the effort to complete a few of these tasks makes a big difference in the amount of time your home sits on the market and how much you’ll get for it. Let’s take a look at the important things to remember when preparing your home for sale.
Choose Neutral Colors
Unique colors add a personal touch to a home. When it’s time to sell your home, however, depersonalization is the goal. Buyers want to see a clean slate that they can personalize themselves. Neutral colors are the answer. Tan, grays, light blue, and white are great neutral options for walls.
Imagine You’re a Buyer
Put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer and walk through your home. When you see things through the eyes of a buyer, do you notice areas that aren’t so great? Do something about those areas, whether it’s cleaning, painting, replacing, or repairing.
Consider Curb Appeal
Don’t neglect the exterior of your home. Though it’s true that potential buyers spend a lot of time looking at the inside of a house, their first impression will be based on your home’s curb appeal or lack thereof. When we see a home with excellent curb appeal, we assume the inside is well taken care of as well. And on the other hand, when we see a sloppy exterior, we assume a sloppy interior. Great curb appeal pulls potential buyers in. Here are a few ideas to improve curb appeal.
- Touch up paint on trim and shutters.
- Weed and freshen up landscaping.
- Plant fresh flowers.
- Get a new mailbox and paint the post.
- Keep the lawn mowed and edged.
Renovate
If the house is very outdated, it’s worthwhile to renovate before selling. Outdated homes don’t sell well. If you do choose to renovate, be sure to do so wisely to ensure the areas you renovate bring you a higher dollar for your home. If it doesn’t increase the value, the renovation isn’t worth it.
Make Repairs
Make any necessary repairs before listing your home. Even a burnt-out lightbulb gives a buyer a bad feeling when walking through the house. The little things add up. Show potential buyers your home is well cared for.
Clean and Declutter
Now is the time to bring out your impeccable cleaning skills. Declutter and get rid of as much as you can, then get rid of some more. The emptier the house, the better (except where furniture is concerned). Declutter the space, then keep the house clean so that you’re always ready for a showing.
Stage the House
If you’re still living in the house while you wait for it to sell, you won’t be able to prevent it from looking a little lived-in. During this time, make a little extra effort to pick up messes as you make them. If you’ve already moved out, leave behind a few pieces of furniture and some decorations to stage the house. This helps a home appear a little nicer than one that has absolutely nothing in it.
Follow these best tips for preparing your home to sell, price the house right for the market, and you’ll be on your way to a sold home.