Preparing your home to sell can feel like such an overwhelming and daunting task! What needs refreshed? Cleaned? Painted? Updated? The three item list quickly becomes a 10, 15, 20 item list and you don't know where to begin! First, take a deep breath! Second, I'm here to help. I created this simple five step list to help you tackle the simple things first and you'll feel back on track in no time.
1. Have your home pre-inspected
Many people will opt to skip this step but it can really save you time and money in the long run. Why are pre-inspections so important? Let's say you skip this step, and you accept an offer for your home but during the buyers inspection, they find a major repair that needs to be completed. At this point, the buyer will either walk away as they are afraid of the problem, which happens often, or you are now going to fix the problem and reduce your profit.
Don't let the buyer tell you what's wrong with your property, be proactive! It's a small cost up-front, but it can save your deal from falling apart over repair items. An added bonus of doing a pre-inspection and making repairs before selling is the advantage of factoring in those added costs into the for sale price - allowing you, as the seller, to potentially make up the money spent!
2. Refresh your exterior
Replace dead plants, add landscaping rock, paint the exterior if needed, replace burned-out light bulbs (in the home and throughout your landscaping if applicable). Potential buyers will drive by at all times of the day and you will want to provide the best curb appeal possible. In addition, add a new doormat, clean your front door and update any worn/weathered door fixtures. The first impression is everything.
3. Refresh Your interior doors
The first impression point is the area that buyers walk into as soon as they come into your home. View your home from right inside of your front door and evaluate what you see. I've had buyers walk in the front door of homes and say "no" let's go. Is your entryway drawing people in or repelling buyers?
Repaint doors and trim. You won't believe how this will refresh your interior. If you painted recently then simply clean the walls, trim, and doors, to remove scuff marks. The Magic Erasers are great for removing scuff marks on doors and trim. Before you use anything on your walls to clean, test on a small spot that's not easily visible to make sure it doesn't remove the paint. When wiping your wall use light strokes, you don't want to scrub an area and burnish the wall.
Refresh your rooms with updated accessories in trendy colors and add some greenery. The new colors will make the interior seem newer and the plants will give it life.
4. Wash your windows and remove the screens
When the windows and screens are clean, the home shows bright and clean. Nothing gives buyers more confidence in a home than when they see its been well maintained. It's unfortunate to walk into a beautiful home and the windows are dirty and haven't been touched in a long time.
This simple step will make all the difference in how your home feels from the inside AND out. If you really want to dress up your windows, you can hang window treatments that help lighten and brighten the space but be prepared to include them in the sale, unless you say otherwise in the MLS.
5. Complete a deep cleaning and change the air filters.
A clean home shows better and will garner higher offers - and who doesn't want that? This is especially important if your home needs some updates. Make sure to change your air filters often as it helps cut down on the dust in the home. When I show a really well cared for property, buyers almost always comment on its condition. The opposite is also true for when homes are dirty; buyers get turned off and won't linger in the house and look around.
These 5 simple steps can help make all the difference in the type and number of offers you get on your home when trying to sell. Never forget that you too are a buyer when trying to sell your home - you're also looking for a new home! What do you notice first when walking into a home? What's something that you find as a huge turn off when it comes to the exterior and interior of a home? Bring these same thoughts and principles into your home when preparing your space for buyers.
If you have more questions or need more help in preparing your home for selling, please reach out to me! As a luxury lifestyle marketing specialist, I'm happy to help you prepare and sell your home!