Okay, so the “For Sale” sign is up, now what? Unless your house is the most well- maintained, cleanest, most perfect house to begin with (if it is you will be hated by most of the modern world!) your house is going to need some work before and money exchanges hands. Just take a look at the MLS listings for your area; you’ll notice that you probably have quite a few competitors out there in your area. With that in mind, you’ll probably want to do as much as you can to spiff up the abode with as little cost incurred to you as possible. Here’s how any experienced new home sales team would do it:
Curb Appeal
Prospective buyers make instant decisions when they pull up to a house for sale. It is not uncommon for people to drive on by if they find the outside of a house to be unappealing. You may have a great interior, but if the exterior has gone to pot, you’re not going to get a lot of visitors. In order to beef up your curb appeal, try these tips:
Landscaping: clean up your yard. Make sure it looks neat and tidy. Again, spend a minimal amount of cash as you will likely not make your money back spending big bucks on the outside of your home. Keep the lawn mowed and the flower beds watered and weeded to keep your yard looking presentable. If you are selling in the winter, keep the walks shoveled and de-iced.
Clear the clutter: prospective buyers should not have to look at old yard tools or patio furniture that needs to be taken to the dump, or children’s toys that are scattered about the yard. Clean up the clutter!
Repairs: Take care of any minor repairs that need to be made. Chipped paint and loose fence boards can be quickly and easily repaired.
Pets: keep the lawn free of any pet (ah-hem) debris and be sure to let your realtor know if you have a pet housed in the backyard when visitors are coming by.
Inside Your Home
So you’ve gotten the prospective buyers inside your home – that’s the first step. Now, you need to keep them there by brightening the aesthetics and getting ready for a property inspection.
Aesthetics
Clean Up: The biggest and most important step is to clean, clean, clean! No matter how nice the inside of your house is, people notice dust, dirt and pet hair. Do the biggest cleaning you’ve ever done to get rid of these offenders. After your major “I’ve just listed my house” cleanup, simply get in the habit of making the beds, putting away extra shoes and wiping down counters every morning in case you have a showing that day.
Clear clutter: Clearing out unimportant clutter is one of the best things you can do not lonely to entice buyers, but to also help your family get ready for the big move. Have a garage sale, return borrowed items and make a trip to the eco-station: it will be worth the effort. Be sure to clean out closets and garages as well as people always have a look when you’re not around.
Odors: Nasty odors are a huge turn-off to people touring your house so make sure to get rid of the odors and their sources. For instance, the morning of the open house is NOT the right time to have a fish fry!
Furniture: If you have any heavy furniture blocking doorways, or extra chairs cluttering a room, move them into storage for the time being. Make each room in your house look minimalistic, yet cozy. Also, if you have furniture that is not the most modern looking or is upholstered with bold, or custom colours, you may want to purchase an inexpensive slipcover to make the look of your room more neutral.
Counters: Small appliances and knick-knacks should be out away to give the appearance of more usable counter space in your kitchens and bathrooms.
Pictures: You may want to put your fun family photos in matching frames and display them throughout the house, but try to keep photos to a minimum to avoid personalizing your home – buyers like to picture themselves settled in your house and too many family photos may detract for their vision.
Repairs
The general rule about repairs is: the cheaper the better! Major renovations are one thing; completely updating you r kitchens and bathrooms will net you a profit in the end. Spending a lot of money on minor repairs, however, isn’t going to get you any extra money. So, be fiscally frugal when finishing up minor repairs.
Painting: A fresh coat of paint will freshen up any room. Just be sure to pick neutral colours as they are typically more appealing than trendy, bright colours. Painting the baseboards doors and trim in a plain white will make a world of difference.
Other repairs: Make sure you fix anything that has been on your “honey-do” list for more than a week. Take a weekend or two and repair that hole in the wall, finish your floor trim or change the lighting in the downstairs bathroom; it WILL help to sell your home.
After your house has been cleaned and de-cluttered, you will see a huge improvement and help to maximize the price of your h