When you’re preparing to sell your home, one of the essential principles to remember is – first impressions count. Staging the house ensures you seal the deal faster and potentially profit more from the process.
Make your plans customer-centric. The potential buyers want to see a high-value property that they can imagine themselves living in, and it’s on you to make that happen.
Of course, selling your home can be quite stressful. An article just released walks you through the steps of doing it by yourself. Before reading that, let’s review some of the best strategies for maximizing value without breaking the bank.
Tidying Up
You don’t always need a full-blown makeover to make your home seem more appealing. Most of the time, it’s more about the effort put into it. So, here are some actions you can take to make it more presentable.
Deep Cleaning
Nobody wants to purchase a shabby home with dirty floors and streaks on the glass. Take a day to clean it deeply, top to bottom.
Most cleaning will cost you only time and supplies, but you might want to take your curtains and carpets to a professional in some cases.
This task isn’t small or easy, and many sellers will do it half-heartedly. If you do it right, it’ll help you stand out from the competition.
Decluttering
This step doubles in value when you consider that you’ll have to move. It’ll also help you deal with the affair’s emotional side, which facilitates the rest of the proceedings.
Donate anything you no longer need, and throw out the rest. If you still find that your closets are bursting at the seams, consider renting a storage unit to hold the extras during your open house hours.
Depersonalize
When buyers look at properties, they’re most likely to fall in love with a place in which they can imagine themselves. If there’s evidence of your family everywhere, they won’t be able to do so.
While you might feel like family portraits and children’s artwork make the place seem cozier, you need to leave space for the buyers to imagine how they’d make it theirs.
Note: If you have vivid, bright walls, you could repaint them in a neutral color. It helps depersonalize, makes rooms seem bigger and brighter, and boosts the value of your home altogether.
Easy Upgrades & Redecoration
Not every home improvement project has to cost a fortune. A lick of paint here, new lights there, and your house immediately looks more modern and inviting.
On the same note, do your best to fix all the superficial defects. Otherwise, a sharp-eyed buyer might notice dirty switches or dripping taps and assume that you didn’t take proper care of the property.
If you have mold or a similar issue, don’t try to cover it up, though. It’ll show up in the inspection later and hurt your sale. Instead, if you’re on a budget, focus on the following:
- Dirty walls and door frames
- Squeaky floors, stairs, and doors
- Limescale in the kitchen and the bathroom
- Broken lightbulbs
These fixes are quick and easy, and they can make a massive difference in how buyers perceive your property.
Note: If there are more significant issues with your home, such as rusted gutters, old plumbing, or no central heating, you should resolve them. However, if your budget doesn’t allow it, get quotes for the work needed. It’ll make you seem more credible with the buyers.
The Magic of Plants
If you have an outdoor area, a well-designed, tidy backyard can make your property increase in value. When considering how to improve it, imagine the garden as a space for relaxing and entertaining guests.
So, trim borders, cut back any overgrown greenery and clear pathways. Throw in some attractive looking outdoor furniture in the mix, and people will already imagine themselves hosting barbecues in your garden.
If there’s no such area around the house, though, you can still take advantage of greenery. Once your home is clear of clutter and in-your-face personal belongings, you can add several nice-looking plants to make the entire space much more attractive.
The best indoor plants to choose will depend on your space, climate, and preference to an extent, though. Research first to maximize their effectiveness.
The Bottom Line
Overall, if you don’t have a lot of money to invest in the home you’re about to sell, things like decluttering, depersonalizing, and adding plants can do wonders while not damaging you financially. If you go for more significant home improvements, be smart and choose those that bring the most value.
Either way, although it can seem like a hassle, putting in some work before sending your home off to the market is a good idea.