Written by: Erin Kahn
We live in our homes very differently than we sell them. Once you list your home for sale it becomes a commodity and it needs to be treated as such. There are three things that sell a home: Location, Condition and Price. You can control the condition and here are my expert tips to prepare your home for sale.
Fix it: If it’s been broken but doesn’t bother you, it will bother a buyer. Get all those pesky projects done now so they don’t come up later in a home inspection. Home inspectors are very thorough, and it’s unheard of to have an inspection that doesn’t raise some issues. Consult with your Realtor prior to listing your home to make sure you’ve covered all your bases with home repairs.
Declutter: Get rid of all the extra stuff. If you’re going to be moving soon, you don’t want to pack all that stuff up and move it…do you? The less you move, the less it costs. Clean out the closets, drawers, basement and garage. Buyers look in all those places and if you have stuffed closests the buyer will assume the house doesn’t have enough storage space.
Make it neutral: Paint goes a long way! Painting the walls and baseboards is probably the cheapest and yet most effective investment you can make in preparing your home for sale. Choose light, neutral colors because buyers love a clean slate. The brighter a home feels, the larger it feels.
Depersonalize: Personal photos and awards should be kept to a minimum. A buyer can tell a lot about you from the things you keep on display, so don’t give them the chance to make any judgements or assumptions about you.
Clean: You have to deep clean your home. I like to call it “Q-tip clean”. Hire a service if you must, but get every square inch of that home clean. Don’t forget about vent covers which are usually full of dust, window sills which get dirty and have bugs. Dust the blinds and clean the fridge and sweep the garage. It all needs to be spotless.
Staging: Having a home professionally staged will help you sell faster and for more money. Furniture placement plays a huge part in how large or small a room feels. For a buyer it’s all about that first impression.
Buyers come into our homes with a very different set of eyes than our friends and family, and you only get one chance to hook them. If you’re thinking of selling your home soon, give me a call and I’d be happy to discuss a plan to get your home showing ready and sold quickly!
For more tips and tricks follow me on Facebook @ErinKahnRealtor or visit my website: www.ErinKahn.com