When you’re considering making a move, whether it’s across town or across the county, you’ll want to get your house ready to sell. Most sellers want a quick sale and also want to maximize the amount of money they can get for their home. Buyers gravitate to homes that they find value in, which are homes that they can see themselves living in. Here are 10 easy-to-follow steps to make sure your house is ready to hit the market!
Hire a REALTOR that you trust, that knows the local market, and that you’re comfortable talking to and asking questions. We’re here to help and you should feel comfortable asking questions and feel that your concerns are heard.
Add fresh mulch to flower beds, plant flowers in flowerpots, and remove weeds from flower beds. Pick up sticks from the yard, and keep the yard freshly mowed. Power-wash your house or give it a fresh coat of paint.
Clear off countertops, tables, closets, kitchen drawers, and cupboards. Houses that are overflowing with stuff will make buyers think there’s not enough storage space. Donate excess stuff or pack it up and put it in off-site storage. This additionally makes moving easier with some of your stuff already packed.
Remove distractions so buyers can imagine themselves in the home. You don’t want the buyer to be looking at your family photos, you want them to look at the room and see the furniture in the space. Re-paint any bold wall colors. You may love bright colors, but the buyer may not. Bold colors could be off-putting to new buyers.
Lock up, or take off-site any items that are valuable to you, personal or monetary. Agents may be with clients in the home, but it’s hard to control if the buyers go in different directions. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Rearrange furniture. You don’t need to buy new furniture, but you need to make sure you have good placement around the room. Less is more and opening up a space typically makes it more appealing to buyers. If you feel you need some help, I also have staging contacts that can assist you from a simple in-home consultation to fully staging your home.
Patch holes from photos/artwork; touch up paint on doors, cabinets, baseboards, and walls. When buyers see things like this, they sometimes assume the home has not been well kept or that the home needs “work.”
Fix the small stuff. Buyers will see the repairs that need to be done when walking through the house before making the offer, often resulting in a lower purchase price. When the same repairs come up on the inspection report, they’ll often want them fixed or take money off again.
Replace light bulbs throughout the house. Open the curtains and let in the sunshine. The brighter the home is, the more welcoming it feels to buyers. The more welcoming, the more it will feel like home.
Make it shine! Pet smell or other lingering odors may turn away buyers. Give your home a deep cleaning, do not mask the smell with candles, plug-ins, or other room deodorizers. Most buyers are instantly turned away when touring a home that has not been cleaned. For buyers will allergies, products used to mask smells can prevent them from being able to tour your home. Simply, there is no replacement for clean!
You only get one chance for a first impression! Following these 10 simple steps will make sure that your house is ready to hit the market and bring in offers. Have additional questions? Call me anytime for an in-home consultation to help get your house “market ready!”
