The number one thing I tell my clients when preparing to put their home on the market is… You have to think like a Buyer. Buyers need to envision themselves living in the space, growing a family, hanging with friends, etc. What improvements do you need to make, both inside and outside, that will give buyers a better appearance of your property? What should you add or remove to make it more appealing to buyers?
5 tips to help with selling your home
To get you started here are some tips to help prepare your house to sell.
- Clean, Clean and Clean – You know that junk room where you threw everything and said I’ll get to it later… well, it’s later. A clean and inviting home will help buyers envision themselves living in it. Hiring a cleaning service is a great idea if you could afford one. It’s about $30/hour and if your time is limited it’s worth every penny. Plus, this is a great time to declutter.
- Fix any minor repairs – Walk through the house and write down all minor repairs that need to be done like: squeaky doors or doors not closing properly, leaky faucets, lights not working, windows stuck, crack in the wall, etc.
- Depersonalize your home – Your home will be full of memories that are special for you and your family but you want buyers to feel like they are walking through their home, not yours.
- Make sure it smells as good as it looks – Certain smells can be off-putting for potential buyers. I notice it’s mostly pets and certain cooking odors. Scented plug-ins and opening windows for fresh air will definitely help.
- Beautify the outside too – This area is what potential buyers will see first before they even step foot in your house so it’s best to make an amazing first impression and get them excited to see what’s to come when they open that front door. Sweep the sidewalk, remove dead tree branches and weeds, paint the deck and add some flowers.
Your goal is to make more money, there needs to be a budget
I suggest that before you start any improvements, you need to come up with a reasonable budget and stick with it! The improvements will make the house look more appealing but will the cost be fully recovered? Remember why you are doing this… To Make More Money! Ask yourself if the improvements will make the home desirable to buyers and will the improvements increase the value of your house so much so that you could justify the cost to make these improvements.
Checklist – What is included in the Purchase Price?
Also, to help with the preparations, I created a checklist – What is including in the Purchase Price – a thorough list of things around the house that will be Included or Excluded from the Purchase Price.
Email me at info@tylerpoperealty.com for your copy of the checklist today!
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Let me know if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!
