Getting your home ready to sell can involve lots of work and expensive, but there are things you can do that can be done quickly and will not break the bank. Here are a list of simple things you can do in order to prepare your home for sale with the least amount of effort and expense.
Curb Appeal
Believe it or not many people will make an instant opinion on your home based on the exterior. It the outside looks untidy and unkempt there is a good chance that people will not even bother to look at your home. After all most people find properties by searching the internet, and the first thing they see (well usually, unless you have an interior picture as your main picture), is a picture of the outside.
The outside should welcoming, the garden and home exterior should appear well maintained, even consider buying some flowering plants that are in season. Other things include making sure the door and surrounding area are clean, and maybe add a welcome mat and potted plants / flowers. Oh, and make sure the door opens smoothly, your Realtor having to struggle with the lock for 5 minutes does not create a good impression.
Let There Be Light
Your home should be as light as possible. You should use natural light wherever possible but if this is not possible then add / turn on lighting to brighten the area. This will make your home appear more open and larger. If you are into energy efficient lighting then try LED bulbs, they are instant on and provide very good lighting. If you have some dark rooms with dark wall coverings then you may want to even consider redecorating with a lighter more neutral color.
Depersonalize
While you may like all those family photos and religious artifacts, the chances are your buyers are not all that interested in them. They want something that while is well decorated, is also neutral. They don’t want to see and be distracted by personal items like photos.
Be Careful With Scents
If you use scents in your home be careful with which ones and how strong they are. A subtle scent can help your home feel cozy, but strong scents can overpower, and may make your buyers think you are try to cover something up.
Declutter
This one ties in with depersonalize and is one of the most important things you can do when selling your home.
No buyer likes to see a messy home, it’s does not create a good impression and they have difficulty seeing what the home will look like with their belongings.
You need to go through each room, including the kitchen and garage and ask yourself does that item need to be there, does it add anything. If you have so much clutter that you don’t know what to do with it then consider renting a storage locker, or asking a friend if they can store your excess stuff for a while.
Complete That Honey-Do-List
If you are like me you probably have lots of little jobs that you have been meaning to do for ages. For example, that burnt out light bulb really should be replaced, that squeaking door needs to be oiled etc.. These small jobs should all be done before listing your home. If prospective buyers see these, then it will not create a good impression. Each job or problem a buyer sees can put doubt into a buyers mind, and may even put them off the property completely.