Selling your house takes more than finding a real estate agent and putting the house on the market. To get your home ready for sale, you have to start with the basics of fixing anything broken, staging your rooms and removing clutter. Since buyers can be fickle, you have to utilise additional techniques to catch the buyer's eye and get them to fall in love with your home.
Start Thinking About Repairs
The first step is to fix anything that is wrong with your home. A potential buyer will want a property inspection before they buy, and they will not want to purchase the home if there is a list of repairs to complete. Fix leaking taps, peeling wallpaper and any holes in the wall. If you are painting or adding wallpaper, make sure that it is a color that appeals to most people. Likewise, repair any windows or doors that do not shut properly.
Go Beyond Curbside Appeal
As you begin selling your house, you have to remember the importance of the curbside appeal. You want buyers to be impressed by the way your home looks on the outside because they will remember this first impression. Gardens, plants and the lawn should be well-maintained. In addition, you should clean up the paintwork on the outside of the home and your fences.
When the buyer reaches the front door, they will notice small details that indicate how well you cared for the home. You will want to install or clean your porch light. Remove any dust or dirt around your front door. You may want to add a new doormat or repaint the door to make the best first impression. As you do this, remember to take a look at your side yard. Dead space can be turned into a selling point with a kitchen garden or a patio table.
Set the Mood With the Right Lighting
Once the buyer enters the home, the right lights can go a long way toward setting the mood. Remove any florescent lights that cast sterile, hospital-like glows in your home. Instead, choose bulbs that have yellow-toned or red-toned hues. These colors are more flattering for home interiors and create an inviting feel.
Prepare for Snoopy Buyers by Removing the Clutter
In every showing, there will be at least one buyer who snoops through cabinets. Whether they are nosy or genuinely want to check out the amount of cabinet space, you have to be prepared. Remove any clutter that has collected in your home over the years. Pack up knickknacks, clean off counters and put essential items in a box so that they are better organized.
Your main goal is to make the space clean and inviting so that buyers can actually imagine living in the home. Open your closets and cabinets to see the type of message you are sending to the buyer. Instead of tossing your clothes in the closet, neatly hang them up with all of your clothes facing the same direction. In your kitchen, neatly stack your dishes and turn coffee cups in the same direction. If you cannot get rid of some of your items, use boxes and storage options to make them better organized. Line up your shoes and pack away personal items. Any personal artifacts, family heirlooms and photos should be removed. You do not want the buyer to wonder about who lives in the home. Instead, you want them to imagine their own personal items and furniture in the same space.
Wash Your Windows
Before your home is ready for sale, make sure that your windows are washed. Clean windows naturally let in more light. Even on gloomy days, the additional light will brighten up the rooms and make your home shine. Plus, buyers will notice if the windows are filthy.
Rethink Your Paint Color
While you may love the florescent orange walls, a potential buyer will only see them as another item to fix when they move in. Repaint your walls to have a more general appeal. You can also use paint to create optical illusions. Painting two adjacent rooms in the same color will make your floor plan seem more open. If you use the same colors in the master bathroom and master bedroom, it will give it an en suite ambiance. For an easier approach, consider just repainting your trim. White-colored trim will help to brighten up the space and give it a cleaner feel.
Try Using Scents
The oldest trick in real estate is to use scents to conjure up soothing, nostalgic feelings in the buyer's mind. While you can bake up cookies for a warm, loving scent, you can also use a cookie-scented candle for the same effect. Vanilla, jasmine, lavender and other relaxing scents can be used in the bedrooms and bathroom to boost the ambiance.
Staging Furniture and Curtains
Empty homes do not sell well. If you have already moved to a new home, you need to install some furniture in the rooms if you want it to sell. A spare bedroom can be spiced up with a bed frame and an air mattress. If your furniture has different colors, use a slipclover to make mismatched sofas match again. You can also use floor-length curtains on your windows to make it seem like you have higher ceilings. Striped rugs will make your floor seem larger, and clear shower curtains can open up a tiny bathroom.
Remember the Laundry Room and Garage
For most people, a garage is filled with stored items and tools. While this is a normal part of any house, it is not the image you want when you are selling a home. Use wall and overhead shelves to organize all of your bikes, sporting equipment and tools. A workshop space can be set up in the corner as long as it is organized. In the laundry room, use storage baskets, folding surfaces and bins to make the room more welcoming. Temporary wallpaper or a bright carpet can also make laundry rooms more appealing.
