Selling a home, even if you’re working with a real estate agent, is not an easy process. However, putting in some effort ahead of time will help you sell your home faster and fetch the highest price possible. The following are 8 great tips for getting your house ready to sell:
1. Declutter and depersonalize. If you have a ton of trinkets, knickknacks, family photos, and other stuff all over the place, it’s hard for buyers to visualize their stuff in your house and it can make the rooms look smaller. If you can help them move in “mentally”, they’re more likely to want to move in in real life, so it’s important to declutter and depersonalize your house. Clear out excess clutter and remove family photos from walls, shelves, and tabletops. It’s also a good idea to clean out closets and the garage so they look bigger and cleaner.
2. Wash your windows and screens. Dirty windows are unpleasant to buyers and cleaning them will allow in more light. If screens have holes in them or are missing altogether, make sure to replace them as well.
3. Clean everything. Dirty fingerprints, footprints, grime, etc., are very unpleasant to buyers and make your home seem like it hasn’t been cared for. Take the time to clean things like floors, stove, refrigerator, washer and dryer, etc. If your walls are dirty in places, take the time to scrub them or touch up the paint so they look fresh and clean.
4. Replace burned out light bulbs and install brighter ones. Brighter lights make your home more appealing to buyers, so take the time to install brighter lights throughout the house – particularly in darker rooms. Make sure to turn on all the lights before buyers come to see your home as well.
5. Make minor repairs. Everything you don’t repair ahead of time will likely be revealed in the home inspection anyway, so you may as well head it off to prevent any bad impressions. Small problems such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, cracked receptacle covers or a dripping faucet may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyers the impression that the house isn’t well maintained.
6. Reinforce good curb appeal. Cut the grass, rake leaves, trim bushes, and edge the walks. Scrub any oil stains from your driveway. It’s also a good idea to put a couple of bright potted flowers near the entryway to cheer things up and get the buyers attention.
7. Polish or replace your front doorknob and door numbers. If your front door is painted, it also might be a good idea to give it a fresh coat of enamel so it looks clean and new.
8. Get rid of smells. If the first thing a buyer experiences when he walks in the door is a bad smell, you’re not off to a good start! Clean carpeting, upholstery, and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. If carpets are old and need replacing, it probably is worthwhile to do so. The additional price you receive for your house will most likely outweigh the expense. To freshen up the air a bit, consider opening windows or baking fresh cookies (which you can leave out for your buyers as well!).
