Comments Off | Sunday, June 5, 2011
As a seller you might want to know how to prepare your home for sale. Here are a few tips, which do not take a lot of time and effort, but will go a long way in helping you get the best possible price. You don’t need to remodel or put expensive gadgets in your home. A few simple changes will make your home appear more appealing without having to spend a lot of money, in some cases no money at all.
Firstly, keep in mind the kind of market it is. In a buyer’s market chances are there will be lots of first time buyers looking at your home. Most first time buyers expect a move-in ready home for the lowest possible price they can afford. It might appear that these FTBs (first time buyers) have a somewhat unrealistic view, and this is to be expected. After all they are starting out without much previous experience to rely on.
Here is how you can wow buyers with some easy fixes:
Improve your landscaping. Curb appeal is crucial to a good first impression, so make sure your home’s lawn is immaculate. Mow the lawn, prune the bushes, and weed the garden and plant flowers.
Give your front door a fresh coat of paint to make it inviting.
Replace house numbers with new ones that are larger and can be seen from the street.
Clutter: Can’t say enough about this. You are going to move eventually, so why not pack up all the items that are on shelves and counters, except the very essential items you need daily. Get some boxes from the local pet store, and pack away all the items on counters. Label and put these boxes in the garage in a neat stack.
Buyers tend to get distracted by knickknacks, photos, extra furniture and other personal items, and miss out on the best features of the home.
Give the house a thorough cleaning to make it shine.
Make the mirrors sparkle, and clean the window glass, so the view is not streaky.
The outside should be clean. You can pressure wash the home’s siding and this will give it a fresh look and get rid of cobwebs and dirt. Mow the lawn.
Fix major defects like broken window glass, holes in walls or floors and peeling paint.
Fix leaky roofs or old stains on ceilings. A wet spot or large stain on the ceiling in any room could discourage buyers. Don’t forget to clean the fan blades.
You can also clean the rugs and draperies to give the home a fresh smell and feel. Wipe down the blind slats and window ledges.
Finally, if you have pets, now is the time to hide the litter box and spray air neutralizer throughout your home. Open up the windows for a time and let fresh air into the home, especially if it’s been sealed up for the winter.
When showing the home, fill it with inviting smells by putting out fresh flowers and baking a batch of cookies.
Now go ahead get started! You can change your home from ‘HOME FOR SALE” TO ‘SOLD’ .
For more tips on how to prepare your home for market contact Serena for a free consultation.