If you don’t want to scare away potential buyers, then you need to consider preparing a home for resale before putting your home on the market. If you don’t know where to begin, here are the things buyers notice first and will make a significant impact on how long your home sits on the market.
1. Enhance Your Curb Appeal
First and foremost, you must improve your curb appeal. Buyers won’t even schedule a tour of the outside is lackluster. Clean up any clutter you have lying around. Make sure the hedges are trimmed, and the grass is clipped. Plant some flowers and give the front door a fresh coat of paint. You want to be the envy of the neighborhood and not the house that stands out like a sore thumb. Take some time and spend some money on improving your landscaping as it will pay off royally.
2. Improve the Hues
While that red kitchen may work for you, buyers may see it as a chore to repaint. Try paining a neutral color that will go with a variety of décor. You can’t go wrong with white, tan, or gray hues. Though painting is not a huge ordeal, it may seem overwhelming to buyers who are already packing to move. Remember, the goal is to make the property turn-key or at least to appear that way.
3. Make It Sparkle with Cleanliness
One of the biggest sale busters is poor housekeeping. Are your carpets dirty? Is there dust lingering throughout the home? Is there an odd smell? Buyers will walk right out the door to a home that isn’t well kept. The problem is they think that if you didn’t take care of the small things like cleaning the carpet that you won’t take care of the big stuff like HVAC service? A sparkling home will attract more attention than one that needs maid service.
4. Remove Personal Mementos
The picture of your family hanging above the fireplace must go. Those colorful works of art your children drew hanging on your refrigerator must go too. You don’t want your potential buyer to come into the home and envision your family there. You want them to walk through the door and visually place themselves living here. They must see it as their home to be able to feel a connection with the space.
5. Rearrange Furniture
Do you have a huge sectional that is making a room feel cramped? Is your bedroom suite too big for your room? You want to pare down your furniture to make the space look bigger. Staging a home is essential for a quick sale. Remember the saying that less is more. Each room needs to have a constant flow and feel unrestricted. Make sure to showcase the key feature in each space and not drown it out with loud artwork and oversized furniture.
The Southern Oregon housing market is competitive. If you want to be ahead of other sellers, then you will do a few things to spruce up your home. If you need help getting your home ready for the market, then call me. I know what it takes to get it sold.
