When you’re getting your home ready for sale, it can seem like there’s an endless list of things to do. You’re probably also dealing with finding a new place to live or getting the logistics of moving and setting up your life somewhere else sorted. The following aims to help ease the process a little by drawing your attention to four essential aspects of getting your home ready to sell.
Curbside Appeal
While humans like to think that they’re rational beings, the truth is we’re all more emotional than we’d like to think. The first impression your home makes is going to have a huge impact on potential sales. This means that if the inside is stunning, but the outside needs work, people are less likely to think the home is nice. If the outside is clean and well-maintained, however, people are more willing to overlook interior issues.
To improve the curbside appeal, make sure the exterior is clean. This might involve picking up trash or clutter, as well as wiping down siding and doors. You also want to weed the driveway and walkway and trim all bushes and hedges. Make sure you’ve taken care of the big exterior elements like the roof and the driveway. If you need to, reach out to a provider of emergency roofing services. Also, be sure to complete any minor repairs like making sure the gutters are properly attached.
Run Renovations Past Your Agent
Most people are shocked to find out how many renovations don’t actually improve a home’s value enough to justify spending the money in the first place. Be sure to run all your renovation ideas past your real estate agent before committing to making them happen. You might discover that some things are either not needed or detrimental to the sale price. Moreover, you might discover that in your location, there is an upper cap on home prices simply because people shopping in the area can’t afford homes above a certain price. This means that even a renovation that would increase value in another location might not be worth your time or money.
Think In Terms Of To-Do Lists
When people are touring potential homes, they’re always compiling a list of things they’re going to have to do to get the home in the right shape for them and their needs. If you can minimize this list, you’re more likely to have people feeling positive about moving into the home. This means taking care of all the basic home maintenance things you can; sometimes, a tap just needs to be tightened, so it stops dripping, and sometimes screens need to be cleaned.
Holes, dents, and cracks can be filled. If there are things that need to be taken away, remove them before you start showing the place. If the trim has detached from one of the windows because the cat loves to sit there, spend the twenty minutes you need to nail it back into place. Any task you can take off the potential homebuyer’s to-do list will help them feel like the property isn’t an insane undertaking that is going to gobble up all their weekends for the foreseeable future.
Deep Clean
Cupboards and appliances can be wiped down. Trim, door frames, and window frames can be washed with mild soap and hot water—you will be shocked by how much more pristine your space can feel when you wash these often touched or scuffed parts of your home. Grime builds up slowly, and so often, we don’t notice when things like this need to be washed. This is triply important if you have pets or children. While you’re at it, be sure to give the windows a superb clean. The cleanliness of your windows drastically improves the quality of natural light illuminating the home, and this step alone can make your place look photo-worthy.
If you’re able, try to get some of your own belongings and clutter out of the home before you start showings. This is especially important where closets and storage spaces like the garage, basement, and attic are concerned. A half-empty closet looks a lot bigger than a jam-packed closet, and people looking for homes are always thinking about storage space.
The above four focuses should help you get the bulk of your home ready for sale. Of course, your real estate agent might have a few suggestions for things that apply to your neighborhood specifically or to the state of your home, so it’s a good idea to talk to them about the things you can do to improve the speed of the sale and encourage an ideal sale price.
