Selling your home is no easy feat. To attract the best buyers, it’s important to put your best foot forward by preparing your house to enter the market in good condition. And unfortunately, it’s not always as easy as cleaning your home and putting a “for sale” sign in your yard. But with some help and a few tips and tricks from the experts, you can get your house ready to sell in no time.
Here are ten ways to get your home ready to sell:
- Empty Closets. Buyers are always looking for storage space, and clearing out some closet space so they’re at least half empty will make it look like there’s tons of space. Just make sure that what you keep in the closet is clean and appropriate—potential buyers will be looking through your closets, so keeping things tidy and organized is essential.
- Maximize Light. Another thing buyers are looking for? Light! Take down curtains, clean windows, and even change your lightbulbs to a higher wattage to maximize the amount of light coming into your home. You may even want to cut down bushes outside to let more sunlight through your windows.
- Make Minor Upgrades. You should make some minor upgrades to your home if you can—a fresh coat of paint, cleaning out the grout in tile, replacing light fixtures, and even replacing cabinet hardware can do wonders to make your home look more modern. But make sure these upgrades stay relatively small. You likely won’t get your money back on big home renovation projects, and new homeowners will probably make their own changes anyway.
- Update Your Kitchen. The one place you may want to make larger updates is in your kitchen. The kitchen is arguably the most important room in the house; most real estate experts argue that the kitchen can make or break a sale in a home! Paint the walls a neutral color to make the kitchen appear clean and provide a blank canvas so buyers can envision themselves in the kitchen. Get new, modern appliances if needed, and refinish cabinets and drawers to make them look updated. You can also replace hardware, faucets, and even backsplashes.
- De-Personalize. You want buyers to be able to envision themselves in your home. Because of this, you should de-personalize your house by taking as much of yourself out of your home as possible. Rent a storage space and store personal items like family photos, memorabilia, paintings, collections, and other keepsakes. When selling, the more “neutral” a place seems, the better.
- While taking some of your personal items out of your home, take time to clean and declutter your home. An organized space will look extremely attractive to buyers since it will make your space look bigger. When things are out of the way, buyers can focus more on the house and the actual space than your personal items.
- Hire a professional stager to design the interior of your home, allowing buyers to see your home in its absolute best light. Stagers can also help with the home’s exterior, cutting grass and landscaping your hard to up your home’s curb appeal.
- Hire a Photographer. Most people look at listings and photos of homes online before they schedule a tour. Hire a professional photographer to take high-quality photos so buyers are tempted to visit. Without good photos, potential buyers could overlook your home. We recommend getting a photographer after you’ve cleaned, decluttered, and staged your home.
- Price Well. Research your local market and see what a suitable price for your home is. Knowing what homes in your neighborhood are going for will give you a realistic idea of what you can ask for. Pay close attention to what comparable homes are going for in their price per square footage, as this will show you what homes with features like yours are going for, regardless of the size.
- Find an Agent. Hire a professional and experienced real estate agent to help. They’ll be able to make a detailed plan to help you sell your home and have numerous connections to get the word out about your house. They can also help you price correctly, advertise on social media, and negotiate offers.
Choose a real estate agent that will genuinely take the time to understand your wants and needs. Contact Sandy Majetich-Toth at 815-791-2215 to help you search for a new home or help you sell your current property. Let’s get started today!
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