If you’re planning to sell your home, you’ll want to make sure it’s in tip-top shape. But you don’t have to spend a bundle to make a great first impression on potential buyers. Consider these inexpensive tips from Home and Family Finance for putting your home’s best face forward.
"Wow" buyers immediately
Buyers make a judgment about your property the minute they pull into the driveway. To entice them to look inside make sure the exterior of your home is clean and attractive. Cut the lawn, trim the shrubs, and plant some colorful flowers. Wash down the siding and brick, and make sure your gutters are clean and free of debris. Refresh the look of old shutters and doors with a coat of paint. Hide garbage cans, yard rubbish, and old garden hoses. Removing detractors like these from your home will help pave the way to quick sale.
Make the place sparkle
A few hours spent cleaning and organizing will go a long way with potential buyers. Scrub the floors, wash the baseboards and clean the windows so they sparkle. Shampoo any dirty carpets, clean the bathtubs, replace unsightly caulking, and make sure to fix dripping faucets and oil squeaky doors. Is your oven clean? Some prospective buyers may judge the overall cleanliness of your home by how clean you keep your oven. Consider applying a fresh, neutral coat of paint to tired walls.
Create the illusion of space
If prospective buyers have to perform gymnastic moves to avoid running into extra furniture and boxes, you may have to wait a while before you sell your house. Consider storing items temporarily at a friend’s house, or rent a storage unit. Organize junk depositories like closets, basements, and attics. To create the illusion of space, don’t cram a lot of furniture into a small room, and de-clutter as much as possible.
Bric-a-brac and too many personal items are also detractors. From the minute prospective buyers walk into your home, you want them to be able to imagine themselves living comfortably in the house surrounded by their belongings and keepsakes.
Consider a pro
If you want top dollar for your dwelling you might consider hiring a redesign specialist, also known as a home stager, to maximize your property’s appeal. Home stagers’ services include everything from coming in and making over a home—putting in new countertops, applying fresh paint, replacing older furniture with modern new pieces—to walking through the home and making suggestions for improvements. Their costs can range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars depending on the level of change you’re looking to effect.