First impressions are key when you are trying to sell your house. You have only seconds between when potential homebuyers see your house to when they form an opinion about it.
Every detail big and small matter when it comes to preparing your house, so it can be overwhelming to decide where to focus your attention.
These 11 tips will help you to put your best foot forward with potential homebuyers when selling your house:
Give your lawn the once over. Prune trees, trim bushes, and plant colorful flowers. Keep your lawn kept cut short and trimmed. Carefully stage the furniture in your outdoor areas such as decks and patios.
Clean through your closets, cabinets, and anywhere else that you are storing items (like a basement or attic). Fewer items give the feel that there is plenty of room. When every closet is completely full it gives the appearance that there isn’t enough storage in the house.
Improve the entrance to your house by either cleaning your front door or repainting it. Adding color to your door can be a great way to draw in the eye of the buyer.
Small leaks might not seem like a big deal to you, but chances are that potential buyers will not feel the same way. Repair any small leaks and take care of any damage that has been caused before it grows into a bigger problem.
Have the carpets professionally cleaned. Many buyers are not fans of carpets, so if you have them in your house you want to make sure that they are looking their best.
Take the time to replace any burnt out light bulbs you find around the house. You want to be able to turn every light on, including lamps, for showings and open houses. For this reason, you want to make sure all bulbs are working before you are ready to walk out the door.
Buyers are going to try turning on every switch as they walk through your house. Beat them to the punch and do it yourself to make sure that everything is in working order.
Buyers are going to look inside every closet and cabinet. Spend some time cleaning out your old medicines.
If you have any prescriptions that you would prefer not to be seen, consider taking them with you for showings or open houses.
Take the time to caulk around your tubs and sinks. New caulk gives the appearance that the sink or tub is newer and cleaner.
Enter your house and walk through each room as if you were an interested buyer. Look for the areas that might have a negative affect on the showings and see what you are able to do to change that.
When you have a showing or open house you need to make plans to have your pets out of the house. Buyers want to look through your house and yard comfortably and you don’t know how the buyer feels about animals.
Preparing your house to sell for sale does not mean you need to spend a lot of money or complete major remodels. Take the time to complete these 11 steps and you will be on your way. Homebuyers love move in ready houses, so the more you are able to do to present that to them, the better off you will be.