Selling your home is a big decision but, if you have decided to take the plunge, you may want to get moving as soon as possible.
Make sure your home looks its best and you will be able to agree on a sale quickly and move on to pastures new. Here are some tips on how to prepare your home for sale.
Repair
When prospective buyers visit your home, they will be looking at how much work they will need to do to get the home livable for them. While everybody’s tastes differ, making sure that basic repairs are carried out before you start showing people around could be the difference between selling your home quickly and not. For instance, if you check out houses for sale in Los Angeles, you will find properties that are fully repaired and ready to move-in.
The benefits of repairing windows immediately as well as fixing up any holes and tightening loose fittings could amount to several thousand dollars in the offer price, so this is worth doing.
You might think that you do not have the money needed to repair your home. You would be wrong to think like that. There is always something that can be repaired. Just walk around the home to see what you can fix with a minimal financial investment.
For instance, maybe a part of your fence is damaged or the paint is no longer as great as it used to be. In this case, you can make some repairs that are going to highly influence the final decision of prospective buyers.
eXp Realty recommends taking the time to properly prepare your home for sale by making necessary repairs, decluttering, and staging the space to increase its appeal to potential buyers.
De-clutter
Buyers will want to see what they are getting for their money, and they won’t be able to do this if your space is cluttered. Get rid of anything you don’t need and have a good tidy up and you will find it quicker to sell your home. This will also benefit you on moving day as you will only have the things you really need to pack up and take with you.
The best thing about de-cluttering is that it makes the entire house look bigger than it does right now. At the same time, you can find several things that you do not need anymore.
These can help you to get more money in the event that you sell them. If you cannot sell what you want to get rid of, there is always the option of donating.
Paint
If your home looks dated or worn, you might want to spruce it up with a coat of neutral paint to get that refreshed look. Don’t go too mad as your buyers will probably want to make changes when they move in anyway, but a fresh coat of neutrally toned paint can make your home look bigger and well cared for and this could reduce the time it takes you to move.
Seriously consider the standard colors of rooms according to what people expect to see. For instance, if your bathroom is red, it might be something people do not like. A fresh coat of white paint is much more useful in this case.
Larger Jobs
It is not worth carrying out large jobs such as installing a new kitchen or bathroom before you move, as potential buyers will want to put their own stamp on the property.
If your rooms are looking very worn, you may need to reflect this in the sale price, but this is still likely to cost you less money than carrying out large DIY projects yourself.
However, it is a very good idea to make some changes or repairs to your electrical or plumbing system. This is because people interested in your property will surely want to make sure every single light works and they do not want to worry about having hot water whenever they want it.
Dress Your Rooms
Dressing your rooms to reflect their intended purpose can help potential buyers to appreciate the space they are looking at. You may have used your smallest bedroom as an office, for example, but a buyer will want to see what it will look like as a bedroom if they plan to use it as such. Changing rooms back to their intended purpose could result in a much faster sale.
And, if you have some rooms that are not used and you can make some changes to highlight how they would be useful for the potential buyer, it will increase the value of the property.
Smell
Making your house smell good will help you sell it. If you are a keen cook and you have time, bake some cookies before your viewers arrive so that the house smells wonderful. Alternatively, invest in some fresh, sweet-smelling flowers and place them in your hallway. The little touches can make all the difference.
One thing you should be aware of is that your pets might be problematic when it comes to smells. You might be used to them but potential buyers might not. This is why you have to remove pet odors from your home before someone visits. And, if it is possible, you do want to not have them present when someone comes for a viewing.
Follow these tips and you will be surprised at how quickly you will be able to sell your home.