5 Things to Do Before Selling Your House
If you have decided to sell your home, you surely want to do it quickly and not below the asking price. This sounds a bit complicated, especially with today’s market when there are so many homes that are waiting for their future owners. Since the competition is fierce, you have to ensure that your home is what most buyers are looking for. That means it needs to be clean and preferably move-in ready. Unfortunately, if you don’t immediately catch the buyer’s attention, they will move on to the next home, not giving your home a second thought. So, how can you transform your place into a fresh, turnkey home? There are several projects that can help you with that task. Don’t worry, they are not as complicated as you think. Here are 5 easy maintenance tasks that will make your home stand out from the competition and help you sell it in no time.
Get your home deep cleaned
Of course, anyone can assume that buyers will pay more attention to a clean home than a messy one. Not everyone can look past the dirt and the mess and see your place as their future home. But how clean should your home be? If you think that regular weekly tasks such as vacuuming, dusting, cleaning the countertops and the sinks will get the job done, think again. To attract buyer’s attention you will need to clean those hard-to-reach spots, the window treatments, your shelves, and books on those shelves. Like it or not, potential buyers will pay attention to the tiniest corners of your place, and you need to make sure that they all look as good as new. The best strategy is to hire a professional team to deep clean your home. After all, you are so used to living in your home that you won’t even notice those neglected spots or smells that could repel the potential buyers.
Refresh your flooring
One of the first things future homeowners pay attention to when walking into a home that is on the market is flooring. Get your carpets thoroughly cleaned, and if there are some stains that just refuse to come out, consider replacing them. Your floors should look brand new, and refinishing them is a way to ensure this. Although these are unplanned expenses, they can increase your home’s market value and help you sell it faster.
Fix the broken things
When they walk into your home, buyers need to feel welcome and be able to imagine themselves living there. That can be a problem if your faucet is leaking, your doors and windows are creaking like those from a haunted house, and the hinges on your cabinets look like they are going to fall off. These are all small repairs but can make or break the first impression. Also, a lot of buyers like to sit on the bed and try to envision themselves waking up there, so make sure your mattress is in a good shape. If it is time for a new one, you can read here about how to sell the old one.
Paint the walls
Painting your walls is the best, easiest, and most affordable way to freshen up your home. Stick to bright, neutral tones to make your home look bigger and more spacious. No one will buy a house that feels like a box! However, make sure you are done with painting one month before listing your home, so those paint smells are gone by the time potential buyers walk into your place.
Change the lightbulbs
How many times have you noticed that a light bulb in the bathroom or your bedroom has burned out, and you just ignored this and used the light above the sink or next to your bed instead? We have all done it, but when you are selling your home, you need to make sure that it is in top shape and looks well-maintained. Therefore, make sure all the lightbulbs around the property are working, as well as those inside your home.
These tasks can help you sell your home quickly and maybe even over the asking price.