It’s a seller’s market, to be sure. But that doesn’t mean you can just list your home for sale and expect a bidding war and top dollar. As prices rise and competition remains fierce, buyers are still discerning and want to feel like they’re getting a really great home for the amount they are paying. If you are considering selling, below are some ways to make your house show as best as it can, resulting in capturing the most amount possible from potential buyers.
Disassociate Yourself With Your Home
Learning how to let go is difficult. You’ve lived in your home for years and there is likely a lot of emotion connected to it. However, you need to separate yourself from your home. Remind yourself: “This is not my home. This is a house. It is a product to be sold, much like a product on the shelf at a store.” Make the mental decision to “let go” of your emotions and focus on the fact that soon this house will no longer be yours. Picture yourself handing over the keys to the new owners. Don’t look backward. Look toward the future.
De-Personalize
Pack up all personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can’t see past personal artifacts and you don’t want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can’t do that if yours are there.
De-Clutter
This is your number one priority. If you haven’t used an item in over a year, you probably don’t need it. Pack up all knickknacks. Clean everything off the kitchen counters. Put your daily essential items in a box that can be stored in a closet when not in use. If necessary, consider a temporary storage unit.
Make Minor Repairs
Buyers will home in on items that are obviously broken in your home, wondering if bigger issues lurk. While making major repairs isn’t necessarily critical in this current market, the fewer red flags a buyer sees, the stronger their initial offer will be, and the less likely they will be to negotiate during the transaction. Consider replacing cracked floor or counter tiles. Patch holes in walls. Fix leaky faucets. Fix doors that don’t close properly and kitchen drawers that stick. Replace burned-out lightbulbs.
Freshen Up
You may want to consider a fresh coat of white paint throughout the house. A neutral palate will best showcase the bones of the home, and its possibility.
Consider Staging
While a vacant home is a blank slate, buyers will have an easier time envisioning what the home will look like furnished if it is staged. If you have any awkward spaces, or rooms that don’t have an obvious purpose, an interior designer’s eye for furniture placement will help buyers picture themselves in the home. Staged homes typically sell for at least 5% higher than vacant homes, and when you consider the cost of staging vs the higher sales price, you’ll nearly always get your money back – and then some! If you are still living in your home and staging isn’t an option, consider working with your realtor or a design-savvy friend to rearrange your furniture to showcase the most desirable features of your home.
Scrutinize Curb Appeal
As the saying goes, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. If a buyer doesn’t like the exterior of your home, chances are they won’t even enter to consider the interior. Stand outside your home and look at it from the perspective of someone who has never seen it. Does it welcome you? If not, consider simple changes like adding brightly colored potted plants, trimming the bushes, mowing the lawn, or touching up the paint around the windows.
By making these simple moves, you are ensuring your house will show as well as possible, and that you will not leave any money on the table when you sell.
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