In today’s market, selling your home is tough enough. Certain mistakes can cost you a favorable deal or worse yet, any deal at all! In today’s blog, we will discuss the top mistakes and provide tips to assist to make your home more “sellable”.
Mistake: Failing to “Prep” the Home.
A polished home will make a buyer feel more at ease that they are purchasing a home that has been well maintained. This appeal may allow your home to possibly sell faster. Make the home more appealing to buyers by increasing curb appeal. Ensure the yard and home’s exterior is well maintained throughout the time the home is on the market. Keeping it edged and cut, Trim hedges, weed lawns and flowerbeds, and prune trees, regularly. Paint the front door. Clean and align gutters and check around the home for loose shingles, boards, window sills, etc.. and do a little spruce up.
De-Clutter! When a prospective buyer is viewing your home, they imagine their belongings fitting in the home and picturing themselves living there. That’s hard to do when the home is filled with all your cherished memories and all the trinkets from your family vacations. Depersonalize and de clutter as much as possible. Box up some of the family photos. (When the home sells, you’re going to have to pack them up anyway, just get a head start.) Clean out the closets, cabinets and garage. Have a yard sale and use that cash to invest in a small storage unit for a few months for larger items that you prefer to hold onto.
Give the home a detailed cleaning. The home, now de-cluttered, will appear brighter. If time is an issue, any of our Realtors can recommend a cleaning service. It’s worth the investment. If needed, repair any holes or damage to drywall. Remove tattered wallpaper and paint with neutral colors like soft beige or off white. Spruce up the paint on walls in heavy traffic areas.
Finally, keep the dishes out of the sink and the counters clean and free of clutter on a day to day basis. Most buyers reach there first impression within one minute of viewing the home. Make sure that impression is a good one!
Stay tuned to the blog for our “next mistake”…..Overpricing your home!