Putting a house up for sale takes significant effort and can as a result be overwhelming. A few minor touchups while preparing in the lead-up to it can make your life significantly easier. It will also go a long way in making a fantastic first impression on potential buyers. Here are some tips that will hopefully be useful as you prepare to put your house up for sale.
1. Clean, clean, clean, declutter and depersonalize
Clean the house to shiny perfection and go the extra mile to make sure it smells clean. Use cleaning products that leave a fresh scent behind such as citrus-based products. After deep cleaning, you can buy an air neutralizer and spray it often. Consider enlisting the help of professionals to clean both inside and out especially in a house that has been lived in for an extended period. Professionals not only do a more thorough job cleaning but also significantly decrease your stress and workload.
A spotless home allows the new buyers to immerse themselves in it and focus on imagining themselves living in that space without any distractions. Pay special attention to kitchens, bathrooms, and windows. Kitchens and bathrooms can increase the value of a home.
Part of cleaning should be decluttering and taking out personal items which not only make the room feel more spacious but also create a blank canvas for the buyers to imagine their own personalities in the space. Depersonalize all the rooms, removing any photo frames, posters, or artwork. Clutter can cost you a sale.
Organize the closets, cabinets, and drawers because buyers will want to assess the amount of storage space available and these tend to be the most cluttered areas. Pay attention to books, CDs, DVDs, ornaments and other knick-knacks and kitchen appliances, and tools that currently live on the counter.
To make the rooms even more spacious, consider renting storage space and getting rid of at least half the furniture especially in the living room. Be radical about the removal so that there is enough furniture left to convey the room’s purpose and enough space for people to move around the room unhindered.
2. Make small repairs
Repair, restore, and revamp. Buyers see everything even the little details that may appear insignificant to you when you put your house up for sale.
- Replace broken bulbs.
- Fix leaky taps.
- Fix doors and drawers that don’t open or close properly.
- Repair cracks in the walls.
- Touch up paint or repaint in a neutral colour altogether. Factors To Consider When Choosing Interior Paint Colour.
- Hang up fresh towels in the bathroom.
- Get a new shower curtain and bath mat in neutral shades.
- Get rid of any busy wallpaper and repaint.
- Eradicate any bad odours such as cigarette smoke, mildew, and the smell of pets. Don’t just try to mask it with an air freshener, deep clean, air out your house, and get rid of anything that has the odour deeply stuck like couches.
- Replace cushion covers, bedspreads, and curtains that are worn out or have buys colours and patterns.
- Fix cracked or broken windows.
- Replace or repair damaged window screens.
- Repair any cracks or damage around tubs, showers, and sinks.
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3. Let there be light
One of the key things people look for in a home is lots of natural light. There are ways to give the impression that the house up for sale has plenty of bright airy space even if that is a bit of a handicap:
- Replace dim light bulbs with higher wattage.
- Pull down any dark curtains altogether, don’t just draw them open.
- Install extra light fixtures in areas of your house that are darker.
- Repaint dark rooms with light-coloured, light-reflecting paint.
- Lightly prune any trees or vines that cast shadows inside your home.
3. Consider the outdoor appeal
Stand outside your house and critically evaluate what you see. You want potential buyers to be charmed right from the outside making them even more eager to see the inside.
- Clean the outside just as thoroughly as the inside.
- Repair broken gutters.
- Clean and repair concrete areas like driveways and walkways eliminating any oil or grease stains that may have accumulated where you park your car.
- Clean out any weeds that may be coming up through the cracks in the walkway or driveway.
- Make sure the house numbers are easy to see.
- Freshen up your doorstep with a new welcome mat.
4. No pets
You may love your furry friends but there’s no reason to believe that potential buyers do as well. Some people may be turned off of the purchase entirely when they are greeted at the door by an animal no matter how cute and/or friendly. If you are showing off the house and you are still living there then you should think about taking your pet somewhere else for the days you will be showing off the house.
These few changes can significantly help with the process of placing your house on sale not to mention raise the value of your property. The final step would be letting go emotionally and getting ready for an offer. You could also consider enlisting the services of a realtor if you don’t have the time or flexibility required to show the house to different potential buyers.
