Article via HomeAdvisor.
Selling your home can be an extensive process, but you don’t want to spend too much time preparing. As we come into the spring and summer real estate market, take quick steps to get your home ready to sell. Here are some of the essential prep steps:
#1 Clean your home.
Your home needs to be spotless before buyers start walking through. So make a to-do list of all the rooms and what to clean. Think about cleaning windows, repainting any walls that are particularly scratched or smudged, and cleaning grout and floors. Other cleaning to-dos may include:
- Bathroom: Clean mirrors, wash out shower/tub, wipe countertops, mop floors
- Bedroom(s): Wash linens (curtains, bedsheets, cover), vacuum, dust
- Living Room: Clean furniture, vacuum carpet, dust
- Kitchen: Wipe down appliances and countertops, dust cabinets, clean out refrigerator, mop floor
You can also save time by hiring a professional cleaning service to come through your home. They can do every room in your home in less time than it would take you to do it; that way, you can spend more time on other projects.
#2 Depersonalize.
When buyers walk into your home, they want to see themselves living there. So if you have a lot of personal items scattered across the house, they’re less likely to feel at home. Remove your personal photos, art, and plants. This also will apply to big furniture, most of your small appliances and any clothing you aren’t wearing often. If you need more help depersonalizing your home and staging it for buyers, you can hire a home stager for about $600.
#3 Increase curb appeal.
Your curb appeal will be one of the essential components to selling your home this year. It’s important to trim the bushes and trees, mow the lawn and water any flowers or shrubs. Some other curb appeal tips include:
- Power or pressure washing the siding
- Adding more flowers and shrubs around the sidewalk or front porch
- Washing the windows
- Painting the front door a bold color
- Cleaning the gutters
#4 Think about your home inspection.
If your market is a buyer’s market, or if your house needs help selling, consider getting a home inspector out to the house. Buyers will have a home inspection performed beforehand, so why not save some time? You can find any problems that might impede the sale and fix them. This could include leaky pipes, holes in the roof or electrical wires in need of repair. Addressing these issues could make the difference in whether or not you get an offer on your home.
#5 Invest in small projects.
You should never spend thousands of dollars on major renovations like a bathroom or kitchen remodel. Rather, think about the smaller updates you can make to increase appeal. Maybe your kitchen countertops need to be replaced. Maybe your bathtub tile needs to be regrouted. Some of the best investments include a new paint job, front door replacement or hardwood floor refinishing. You can always ask your realtor what’s trending in the area and what helps to sell a home.
Article courtesy of Blue Matter blog and Home Advisor. All rights and content belong to original sources.
