6 Tips to Prep Your Home for Sale in Today’s Market
Selling Tip #1: Clean, Clean, Clean
Never before has cleaning been as important as it is now. When a buyer walks through the door, you want them to feel that the home has been maintained and clean. This is the time to scrub the baseboards, clean the windows, polish the faucets, dust every surface, etc. If you don't have time for this, hire a cleaning service to come in and do a deep cleaning of the home before it hits the market.
Selling Tip #2: Depersonalize & Declutter
Since you are making a move, it is definitely time to go ahead and start packing up things that you do not use regularly. By doing this, buyers will perceive that you are a family that is organized, ready to move and it is less to pack once you sell your home. Examples include boxing up unused kitchen items, taking everything off of the fridge & organizing the closets.
Put away personal photos as well as political and religious items. Personal items only serve to distract a buyer. We want them to focus on the beautiful details of your home, not on your family photos & beliefs.
Selling Tip #3: Staging Sells Homes
There are little touches that can be made throughout the home which can make a huge difference. Stand in each room and visualize what would make it feel bigger, cleaner and brighter. Is there an over-sized piece of furniture that could be removed to give a room more space? Or possibly a lamp that could be added to brighten up a room? Does a room need paint to neutralize the decor? Could the bathrooms benefit from some new hand towels or rugs to freshen the overall look?
"It is amazing how such small things such as removing a piece of furniture or adding a new rug to a bathroom can make such a difference to how the home presents to a buyer. There is nothing better than when the seller looks at me and says, I wish I had done these things years ago."
- Jen Wetzel, NC/SC Realtor at Paracle Realty
Selling Tip #4: Manage Pets
While we all love pets, they can sometimes get in the way of selling a home as they can leave behind odors, create stains & sometimes cause damage to a house & yard. When prepping your home for sale, it is important to be mindful of what a buyer may see and sense when looking at the house as allergies are common & buyers associate pets with dirt & damage. For both pictures and showings, it is recommended to hide all visible evidence of a pet such as food bowls, litter boxes, toys, etc. If it is possible to remove the pet for showings that is best, however, if you are unable to do that, be sure to secure them within a crate or fenced backyard.
Selling Tip #5: Finish the Honey-Do List
Easy repairs, like fixing a loose doorknob, replacing a ripped window screen, changing out lightbulbs or tightening a gate latch may seem small to you, but they sometimes can make buyers think that there might be something bigger that you haven't taken care of in the home. Before you put your home on the market, do an assessment of your home and take care of the little things as they can make a huge difference to a buyer’s perception of the home’s condition.
Selling Tip #6: Boost Curb Appeal
The first impression your house makes on a buyer is the minute they pull up to the house with their Realtor and while standing at the front door while the door is being unlocked. Be sure to tidy up the lawn by having it mowed, adding mulch & blowing leaves away. Hire a pressure washing professional to clean the walkways, driveway as well as the house. Assure the front door area is clean and free from debris such as spiderwebs and pollen. The last thing you want is a buyer to enter your home with a negative opinion of the home because the exterior isn't clean or in good repair.
Jen Wetzel is a well-known Realtor and Team Leader at Paracle Realty, and she believes that as a Realtor, helping seller clients ready their home for the market is extremely rewarding. She can't wait to help you with your realty needs - contact her today!
704-996-8195
