The Basics of Preparing Your Home for Sale
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You never know what will persuade a buyer to choose your house over another. It could be something you were barely aware of or because of a renovation you’ve made.
Try viewing your home as if you were a buyer, taking careful note of areas that need sprucing up and any repairs you may have overlooked. The following tips from real estate agent Karen Boos can help you determine which improvements are needed before showing your home and what can be deferred or left aside.
Exterior Appeal
Bear in mind that prospective buyers sometimes decide not to even enter a house based solely on what they see as they drive by. Your exterior has to have curb appeal and look appealing to people driving by, which means staying on top of the front yard, including your lawn, bushes, and trees, which should be well-trimmed and even. Keep the grass mowed and loose objects like toys and lawn tools put away. If it’s been a while since you touched up your house’s exterior, you probably need to do some painting and cleaning of the façade.
Keeping large vehicles such as RVs out of sight is just as important as boosting your home's curb appeal, so that buyers can focus on the home itself. If you don't have enough room in the garage, covering your vehicle can do the trick. If you're an RV owner, look for a good RV cover that's designed to keep harmful elements like sun rays and hail from damaging your investment.
Use Apps to Check Out the Competition
Before hiring a real estate agent or listing your home online, it’s smart to do some investigative work to see how your home stacks up against the competition. And while this might involve heading to nearby open houses to check out area homes, you can take a much simpler approach by using apps for your smartphone. Apps from Redfin, Zillow, Realtor, and Trulia can give you an inside look at how your house compares to like-minded properties on the market. Not only can you compare prices, but you can also look at photos for some staging ideas.
Eliminating Odors
Odors are one of the top turn-offs for potential buyers whether it’s from pets, smoke, or dinner the night before. If you have carpeting, it should be deep cleaned to remove stains and deep-seated odors — especially from pet dander and urine — that can make it difficult to prepare for an open house. Be sure to launder curtains and any items where odors may be lingering. If you continue to smell smoke in your home, it may be time to bring in an air purifier designed for smoke odors specifically.
Declutter
Homebuyers typically prefer a home with plenty of flow and enough open space to work with from a design standpoint. When staging for an open house, get rid of any excess furniture that could get in the way, and make sure that any loose objects and papers are cleaned up and well-organized. A cluttered house is a red flag for potential buyers who are likely to see it as an indication that your home isn’t well taken care of and isn’t a good investment.
Fresh Paint
This is the number one improvement according to most realtors when you’re on a budget. Freshly painted (or repainted) interior walls done in neutral colors are the best way to stage your home so that a prospective buyer can imagine the space as their own. Avoid using garish or excessively colors, which might clash with your overall design and color scheme. Repainting with neutral shades will also give your interior a clean, refreshed appearance that prospective buyers respond to favorably. You can also take out a home equity loan in order to pay for things like painting and other upgrades. Learn more about the best home equity loans of 2021 here.
Getting a good deal for your house depends to a large extent on how well you prepare it for sale. It should be in pristine condition inside and out, well-organized, depersonalized, and made as neutral as possible from a color and design standpoint. If this all seems overwhelming to you, you don't have to go it alone. Karen Boos can walk you through the entire process of selling your home. You can reach her at (208) 870-7770.