If you’re getting ready to sell your home, you’re probably starting to wonder how can you command a high selling price. The answer is simple -- appeal to what the majority of buyers want. The good news is you can actually take steps toward highlighting your home’s strengths and downplaying its weaknesses.
Here are five steps to help you get the most when selling your home:
1. Repairs
Let’s be honest, there’s almost nothing easier than letting routine maintenance slide, particularly when day-to-day life gets busy. Yet, the short-term costs of regularly servicing the appliances or inspecting the roof can go a long way toward boosting home value when you’re planning on selling your home. Keep in mind most home buyers are only interested in homes that are in move-in-ready condition.
2. Paint
A great, low-cost and easy way to improve the value of your home is adding a fresh coat of paint. Both the interior and exterior adds a great look for buyers and the smell of fresh paint conveys ‘new’ to potential buyers. When choosing a paint color, we always advise sellers to stick with neutral colors as it appeals to the most buyers.
3. Depersonalize and Stage
When potential buyers see your home, you want them to visualize their future home. Acquiring the highest market value and elevating your home above the others in the same price range often comes down to first impressions. Remove family photos, religious items, political posters and drawings off the refrigerator (this will also protect your privacy).
Arrange well-placed furniture to really open up your rooms. If you have odd rooms with no obvious role, let’s give them one. For example, an odd alcove off the kitchen could be staged as an office or a pantry. You can receive the biggest bang for your buck by staging the living room, followed by the kitchen, master bedroom and dining room.
4. Landscape
The first thing any house hunter will see when they come to tour your home is the curb appeal. Homes with serious curb appeal make great first impressions. By ensuring your home looks great when potential buyers pull up you’ll immediately create an emotional response.
There are a lot of different things you can do to improve your curb appeal. Mowing your lawn and cleaning the yard are two great places to start. A rusty ancient door lock is not going to inspire confidence in security-minded buyers. If your front yard is looking a little sparse, planting fresh flowers is an easy way to brighten it up. The roof is one of the most important exterior areas of any home. Lichen or moss can signify neglect to buyers, so clear it away.
5. Fixtures & hardware
Sometimes, it’s the little things that matter most. New hardware finishes like door knobs, cabinet and drawer handles can create a big impact and modernize your home on a small budget. That's exactly what you want when you're selling your home.
