It seems that more buyers today are becoming savvier and pickier when House Hunting for that perfect home, that they can connect with and envision themselves living in. Unless, the buyer is an investor and looking to flip the house for profit, most people want a house that is Move-In Ready. Even the smallest details, such as rusty and leaky faucets, chipping wall paint or outdated light fixtures can really turn the buyers off; right off the bat and you will potentially lose out to another house down the street, that didn’t underestimate the importance of preparing your house for sale.
Below is a list of top 10 fixes that you MUST do, if you want to secure a fast and profitable sale:
- De-clutter – I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to minimize clutter in your home before the Open House. Even if your house is beautiful, buyers will NOT be able to see past the clutter and will most definitely remember the clutter instead of the beautiful fireplace or the large windows. My advice is to pack all of it away, since you will have to pack before the move anyways, think of it as killing two birds with one stone – Your house will look its best, and you will be ready for the move in no time!
- De-personalize – When it comes to selling your home, personal items like photos, religious artifacts or collectibles are also considered clutter. Basically, clutter is anything and everything that will sway the attention of buyers from the house to your personal style and life. You want the buyers to imagine their own lives in this house, and being surrounded by your personal items will only remind them they’re visiting yours and will have a hard time disconnecting from that.
- Clean, clean and clean again! – Now that all the clutter is sorted out and packed away, you are ready to give your house a thorough cleaning. Think of it as if your most nosy guest is about to come for a visit, and will be checking all the corners, drawers, mirrors, walls and floors for anything to nit pick at. That is how you have to think of the buyers, because there is nothing worse than coming to an open house and seeing dust or dirt anywhere. Your house has to look like a model home, in order to appeal to the greater number of buyers. If the prospect of cleaning is too daunting or you have no time, it is for sure a smart investment to bring in a cleaning crew. It will pay off – trust me!
- More cleaning – Apart from cleaning the inside of the house, it is very important to either do it yourself or invest in having all the windows cleaned properly. There is nothing worse than looking through dirty and streaky windows; it just leaves an overall bad impression of a poorly maintained house. Where as, clean and streak free windows will let the sunshine in and will improve the general look and feel of your house.
- Complete all the small repairs – Small repairs can add up to huge, daunting tasks in buyer’s eyes. Nobody wants to pay top dollar and then have to move in and start fixing things. It is advisable to address everything, from leaky faucets, holes in the walls or floors, to replacing burnt out light bulbs and whatever else needs attention. Of course, if the budget permits, replacing the old carpet with the new one, new hardware on kitchen cabinets, new lighting fixtures and freshly painted walls will certainly pay off at the end, as they instantly add value to your house.
- Organize all the closest and drawers – Storage is a one of the huge, deciding factors when buying a home. Most people have too much ‘stuff’ that they never use and that just sits and collects dust. Well, when getting ready to sell your house, it is a perfect opportunity to purge all that you do not need, pack and store the rest away in off-storage for your move, and only keep the most essential items like seasonal clothes, every day dishes and other every day items. Essentially, buyers are purchasing space, and storage is a big part of it, so having neatly organized, and minimally staged drawers, cabinets and closest, will further the illusion of extra storage space.
- Curb appeal – Yes, it is a cliché, but a true one at that; You only get ONE chance to make a first impression. And when it comes to selling real estate, it better be a positive one, or you run the risk of potential buyers driving up to your property, and if the outside doesn’t look appealing, some will drive right off, because it makes them think: “Well if the outside is so poorly maintained, what can be expected from the inside?” It is a shame really, because maybe you’ve invested a lot of your time, money and effort in creating beautiful interiors and it will all go to waste, if the potential buyers will not even want to walk past the front door. Little things like painting the front door and trim, replacing the house numbers and the mailbox will have a great impact on the overall look of your home from the outside. If you’re selling in spring, summer or fall, make sure the lawn in freshly cut. Blooming flowers are a great way to add colour and liven up the outside of your home. Plant some fresh flowers in varying heights for interest around the entrance, and place two large urns with more flowers at the porch or front door, which will add definition and symmetry to the entrance. If you have to sell in the winter months, make sure the driveway and walkway to the house are always shoveled clean, and sprinkle some salt to make sure it is not slippery.
- Get rid off the smells – Odors are one of the most important things to consider when selling your house. People can be quite sensitive when it comes to smells, especially when they’re walking into the house and trying to envision themselves living there. Odors such as smoke, pet smells, spices and cooking smells or any other strong smells will turn off the buyer right when they first walk into your house. Best way to eliminate house smells, is to paint the walls, replace the old carpet, wash and dry clean all the soft surfaces, such as couches, pillows and drapes. If there are pets in the house, before the Open House, hide away any sign of them, and if possible make sure to have the house free of any pets, as some people could be allergic or afraid of certain animals, and you really don’t want to take that chance and ruin a potential sale of your house. Great way to add a nice, homey scent to your house is to bake cookies or boil a combination of orange peels, cloves and cinnamon in lots of water.
- Turn on the music – appropriate music can really set the right mood in the house. You always want to consider your target market, who you think might be the potential buyer, and choose the music that will suit their style. Styles such as jazz, blues or instrumental tunes appeal to most people, and therefore are a safe choice in most cases. Just make sure the volume isn’t too loud.
- Bring in the fresh flowers – You really can’t go wrong with adding beautiful fresh flowers to every room. Flowers add colour and wonderful scent to any space and create a luxurious look without breaking the bank.
I hope you found these tips helpful and they will give you some starting off ideas to what you need to do to prepare your house for sale. If you would like some specific advice, feel free to contact me personally with your questions for more helpful ideas and tips.
Good points. Clutter is probably the most common problem.