Before you
list your valuable home on the market, consider the following low-cost actions
to yield tremendous benefits for a quick and effective sale. In my experience,
these have made a significant difference in the sale price of the homes I have
sold.
1. Sale-ready
Décor
Your home
has elements, trims, and decorations to your liking and comfort, but bear in
mind that prospective buyers may have their own preferences. In order to sell
quickly, keep the home décor as neutral as possible. Simply put, remove all
effects that reflect you. These include any personal, decorative, and faith
related items, and photographs of your family.
2. Flooring
Depending on their condition, spruce up hardwood floors with a fresh coat of polish; and for carpets, have a thorough
deep cleanse done. If the carpets cannot be cleaned or are worn out, replace
the carpets to yield an attractive new look for buyers. An updated home that is move-in ready fetches on average between 10-18% more than homes that are sold without being updated.
3. Plumbing
Get your plumbing checked and fixed
for leaks, especially under the kitchen and bathroom sinks. Leaks under the
crawl spaces are hard to find and hence important to get checked and fixed.
This will save you from a negative comment on the home inspection report.
4. Open
Spaces
The buyer
needs to experience the space and square footage. Remove any items that add to
feeling of clutter, avoid leaving bulky furniture in rooms, and allow for walls
and open spaces to be seen. Buyers will not see value for the price if space
cannot be experienced.
5. Super Clean Kitchen, Baths Win Buyers
Keep your bathrooms and kitchen looking as good as new, clutter-free, and refreshed. Ensure bathtubs, sinks, and shower spaces are squeaky clean. Get a closed wastebasket for each bathroom. Ensure countertops are
empty, except for a few decorative items that add to a welcoming charm.
6. Closets
If you
have overflowing closets, pack them away to leave minimal contents or empty, so
that prospective buyers can see the space inside the closets.
7. Curb Appeal
Ensure
your driveways and backyard concrete/tiles are cleaned up. In these days of mandatory water conservation, turn the sprinkler on only on permitted days to keep lawns barely green, or replace with low maintenance native leafy and/or flowering plants. Good curb appeal sets the mood for buyers to get into the home and imagine
themselves living in the house.
8. Paint
If needed, a good coat of paint inside and outside, preferably in neutral shades, will provide the extra freshness to pull buyers into the home. This one can get you more return for a smaller cost.
9. What to do during your Open House hours ?
Buyers need to experience your home as homeowners without the presence of the current
homeowner. I have had experiences where sellers stay back and this has had a psychological effect that turns off visitors, which may result in less than fantastic offers.
As your Realtor®, I represent you and
your home, and will market the best selling points of your home and neighborhood most effectively. Relax and leave the marketing and selling to me.
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