The key to selling your home is to create a great first impression in a buyer – people don’t forget how they felt the first couple of seconds when they saw a specific house or an apartment. What they do is guide themselves according to the first feeling, justifying it with all the real facts they will find in the property. That’s why it’s essential that you, as a seller, prepare your home as best you can to make that first impression great. Here’s how to do it.
Declutter Space
Before you list your home, start getting rid of all the unnecessary things in it – give away, donate, sell, or throw away all the unnecessary items. The less is always better – a potential buyer needs to feel that they can breathe in the fresh air of the open and tidy space of your home.
Also, big storage space is always a plus to a buyer, so get rid of the clutter in your closets, cabinets, and drawers, and pay special attention to basements, attics, and garages – they are usually full of old, unnecessary items that will only look bad in the eyes of a buyer.
Remove Personalized Items
It’s often difficult for a homeowner to pack up personal belongings and remove them from the home they are planning to put up for sale. However, this is an important step that will allow a potential buyer to see your home as an empty canvas where they can paint their own story freely, meaning where they could imagine themselves living surrounded by their items.
This step means removing family photos and personal items from shelves, walls, and counters, as well as from bathroom cabinets and drawers. In case any of the rooms have a particular color that only suits to few, repaint it in some neutral color that is likely to fit anybody’s taste. Lastly, remove heavy window treatments – they may not match the buyer’s decor so that the overall impression will be ruined.
Make Necessary Repairs
It’s always wiser to invest in repairs before you list your home. That way, you will avoid costly price concessions later on because many buyers will demand that you significantly lower the sale price if they notice anything that should be replaced or fixed. In short, you could save thousands of dollars by spending only a few hundred on a simple fix. Any defect should be identified before your home to put on the market, and there are always things that need to be fixed or improved. For example, older houses, which were built in the period between the late 70s and early 90s, have polybutylene piping which isn’t allowed to be used as a type of material anymore due to its features – namely, polybutylene reacts with oxidants found in water, making the pipes breakable and weak. If you own a home from that period, seek help from reliable plumbing services for a quick fix and save yourself from unpleasant surprises later.
Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is the first thing to be noticed when a buyer approaches your home, so take a look at it with a critical eye. Is the fence faded? Does the facade need a new, fresh look? Is the lawn mown and tidy? Is there a visible and neat path leading to the entrance door? Does the roof need to be replaced?
In case you don’t know where to start, here are a couple of things that will improve your curb appeal:
– fertilize and edge your lawn and reseed bare spots; otherwise, it will look neglected and poor
– plant seasonal flowers in beds
– use a pressure wash to clean walkways and driveway
– paint or replace the mailbox
– trim the bushes and get rid of those looking dry and unattractive
– paint the front door in a bright, welcoming color
Final Words
Be prepared for a great deal of work when you start preparing your home for sale, but know this – the more time you invest in creating a great first impression, the faster you will sell your home.
