Details Make the Difference
You’ve taken a big step and decided to sell your house. Now what do you need to do? To maximize your house’s sale potential, the following tips and ideas will help prepare your house to show its best. Doing so will help attract more buyers for a quicker sake. And a home that shows well is shown more often by local real estate agents because they want to show homes that they know have the best potential for leading to a sale.
Like any item for sale, you want your house to be presentable to buyers and show off its strongest features. To do so, take a fresh look at your house through a buyer’s eyes. See you residence as a house for sale instead of your family home. This will help identify its strong points and where it can use some help.
Your Coldwell Banker Dinsmore Associate agent can help you to concentrate your efforts on the improvements that make a real difference toward the sale of your house. Your sales professional may have specific suggestions for improvements to your property so it will show at its best. The tips and ideas offered here will help you prioritize, prepare and plan for the items that need to be done before your house is shown. Once you have a plan in place, create a master list of items that need to be accomplished to help your property stand out from the other properties on the market.
To begin, you should walk through your house to get a feel for the all-important first impression and then complete a room-by-room checklist of areas where you’ll want to focus your attention. Let begin with the various ways the details can make the difference in showcasing your home.
Concentrate First on Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is your first chance to entice potential buyers. Focusing your efforts on the front door will help to grab buyers’ attention. It’s true that first impressions are lasting so make sure that your house creates a strong first impression. Stand in front of your house and picture it through the eyes of a potential buyer. What will they see when they arrive? Here are several suggestions that experts recommend to turn on the exterior curb appeal of your home:
- Mow, weed, trim and water your lawn regularly.
- Paint or thoroughly wash your houses exterior.
- Place a new welcome mat at the door.
- Make sure house numbers are large enough to read.
- Wash the windows so that they sparkle.
- Remove extra vehicles from the driveway.
- Repair damages screens and glass.
- Consider new hardware or lighting.
- Sweep the walk and driveway as needed.
- Remove distracting lawn ornaments.
- Add color with flowers or potted plants near front entry.
- Add a top layer of mulch.
- Make sure your roof and gutters are in good shape.
- Clean up after your pets on a daily basis.
Create a Warm and Inviting Interior
It’s important that your house makes an emotional connection with potential buyers. Location, price and style are important to buyers but they need to see themselves living in your home. It’s important that your home present a neutral canvass by the use of subtle colors in your main living areas. Remove excessive personal memorabilia. Engage the senses with soft music, a warm fire and pretty flowers.
Here’s a few ways to make a welcoming impression:
- Ensure a clean, clutter free entrance hall.
- Paint walls with a neutral color scheme.
- Rearrange or remove furniture in family room and living room for a feeling of spaciousness.
- Make sure carpet is spotless and odor free.
- Scrub, wax or seal floors.
- Remove toys, newspapers and any other clutter.
- Wipe down all light fixtures.
- Clean draperies and blinds.
- Scale back on the number of family photographs.
- Turn off television. Play soft music on the stereo.
- Open drapes and shades.
- Turn on all lights. Change to bright bulbs.
- Set a comfortable temperature. Cool in summer, warm in winter.
- Repair wall and ceiling cracks.
- Scrub, wax or seal floors.
- Do a quick vacuuming or dusting.
Highlight Kitchen and Bathrooms
The two main areas that buyers focus on are kitchens and baths. A clean kitchen sends a positive message and beautiful bathrooms are a real draw. Many buyers are stressed out for time and want a home that it is in move in condition. The closer you can position your home to this ideal the higher the price you can command. Buyers will pay huge dividends for a home that makes their move easy. Be sure to repair leaky faucets, remove rust stains and fix sticky doors or cabinets. Making simple repairs now can have a real impact on whether buyers chose to make an offer on your home or move on to another that needs less work.
- Remove small appliances and other items from counters.
- Remove pictures and other items from refrigerator door.
- Deodorize garbage disposal, dishwasher and trash can.
- Freshen the air and deodorize pet areas.
- Wipe down outside of cabinets and inside drawers.
- Clean up dishes.
- Bake bread to create a welcoming aroma.
- In the bathrooms set out thick “show” towels, bath oils and guest soaps.
- Scrub and polish sinks, tubs and showers.
- Empty trash cans.
- Purchase a new shower curtain and rugs.
- Repair missing tile and grout.
Don’t overlook the Bedrooms, Basement and Backyard.
Bedrooms, basements and the garage are all important to buyers. Make sure they are neat and clutter free. A clean house sends a positive impression and sends the message that your also took care of major items like such as the roof and furnace. If you can’t get something clean, paint it or replace it.
Here are a few things you should pay special attention to:
- Remove distracting posters from your children’s bedroom walls.
- Make the beds.
- Vacuum under the beds.
- Organize the closets and remove excess items.
- Clean and organize the basement.
- Wash down the washer, dryer and furnace.
- Put tools in bins in the garage or shop.
- Power wash wood decks and patios. Add a fresh coat of stain.
- Place lawn furniture and small table in conversational groupings outside.
- Make sure your pet is out of the house and secured during showings.
By following these tips, you’ll have a better chance of enticing buyers into making an offer to purchase your home. It is important to remember in all your preparations, that buyers want to be able to picture themselves living in your home. Your Coldwell Banker Dinsmore Associate agent can help you to look at your home impartially through a buyer’s eyes. They can suggest home enhancements that will add value to your home.