Deciding to sell a home can be one of the most challenging things to do. Letting go of a place that you’ve called home comes with many emotions and processes. You need to plan carefully and have the right knowledge of how well and first you can let go of the house.
No buyer wants to invest in an unappealing home. That’s why it’s crucial to prep the house and ensure that it has the wow factor to draw potential buyers’ attention. Before you sell the home, the buyer would need to view it and decide based on the house’s look, both inside and outside. Below are some ways to prepare your home ready for the show.
De-Clutter the Home
- Like most people, you probably have several things in the home that take up space without adding value. When getting ready to sell your home, you need to keep such items out of sight, so the house looks neat and eye-catching.
- Walk-in every room and remove non-essential items.
- Remove excess books from the bookcases and keep them away.
- If there’s extra furniture, you can rent a storage space to move them to create space or put them in an empty room
- Arrange the room in an appealing manner that shows its potential.
- Tuck away other items into small storage items like small boxes and place them in a closest or storage
You can also dispose of items you don’t need by selling or donating them. A room with too much stuff makes it crowded and small; this can turn-off potential buyers since no one wants to move into what feels like an untidy home. Also, space is a significant point that most buyers use to gauge the value of the house. So, when you de-clutter the area, it’ll add more value, increasing the purchase price.
Remove Personal Items
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- When preparing your home for the show, trying to remove more personal items, it’s easier for potential buyers to see themselves in the space. Buyers may not know any interest or value in your items. That doesn’t mean that you have to remove everything that touches your personality, but the goal should be making the home more attractive from afar.
- You can take off whatever may not appeal to buyers and keep anything that can add value. For instance, remove personal items such as family photos, toys, personalized bed coverings, and fancy window coverings. If you know that there are any individual items that you’ll still need, hide it before the showing.
- Some items, such as lamps that provide extra lighting, can be appealing to the buyer as it will give the area the appearance of more space. Some buyers may even want to keep items they see during a showing, ensuring you only keep what you’re comfortable leaving behind.
Give the Home a Curb Appeal
- First impressions matter, so ensure you create the best curb appeal possible. Some of the things you can do to improve your home’s curb appeal are
- Mowing the lawn
- Weeding the garden
- Planting new flowers and trimming the old ones.
- Ensure the flower beds are neat.
- Pressure washing the exterior
- Clearing off debris and dirt by sweeping the area.
- Don’t only focus on the front part of the home. Buyers check every corner to ensure the curb appeal is on point. Go to the backyard and clear off anything that doesn’t look appealing. There’re likely spider webs and other bugs in the yard. A buyer can quickly turn away when they spot cobwebs or a bee’s nest.
- Additionally, paint every exterior part of the house to make it more appealing. Paint the doors and check the door knocks. Be sure to use neutral paint since you do not know the potential buyer’s color preference for the home. Check for cracks on the outside walls and seal them or refill any holes. Also, make sure your house number to have a clear view from far.
Re-Arrange all Rooms and Storage Cabinets
- Many homeowners think that buyers focus only on the exposed parts of the home. But that’s not the case. Since the buyer plans to invest money in the house, they’ll make sure every space is worth the value. That’s why you need to leave no stones unturned.
- Check all rooms and the storage closest to ensure that they’re well organized, neat, and clean. Start from the living room, re-arrange, and clean all cabinets and ensure that all items are in place. Then move on to others like the kitchen and bedrooms and set everything in order. If there are any hanging items in the drawers and closest, consider finding another space for them.
- Ensure everything in the kitchen is in order by neatly stacking dishes and arranging them to look presentable. As many buyers check out all rooms, most tend to focus more on the kitchen and bathrooms. So, give those rooms the best look and feel. If you don’t have enough storage, dispose of extras items. If storage areas or cabinets are old, you may need to repaint or replace them with new and modern ones.
Make the Home Sparkle
- Ensure you clean every space of the home until its sparkling clean. Sometimes, this can be the most tedious thing to do. You can request your family members to help out. Or, if possible, hire a professional cleaning company.
- Clean the windows, doors, walls, showers, sinks, sidewalks, and other relevant spaces. Remove all the dust from furniture, bulbs, and mirrors. Above all, scent the house to give it fresh air and a welcoming feel. No buyer would want to get into a stuffy home.
Conclusion
What you do to make your home appealing for the showing will determine the outcome. Remember, everything you’re doing is to make the home more valuable and give you more bang for your buck. You may need to hire a realtor to provide you with more recommendations on any areas you may have missed or any grey areas that could turn away potential buyers. If you need help, contact the realtors at Sheridan Solomon & Associates in Macon, GA, or Warner Robbins, GA. Our associates are always ready to help.