Selling your home can be a profitable and rewarding experience however it can also be a frustrating time as well. The better prepared you are before you put your home on the market, the smoother the selling process will be. Here are some helpful tips to help you prepare for selling your home.
Put Yourself in the Buyer’s Position
Start at the tip of your driveway and look at your home like a potential buyer would. This first impression (curb appeal) can help set the direction of updates or changes that you may want to make. By putting yourself in the position of the buyer it can help you focus on areas that may make the home more marketable. Look at things that might need to be cleaned, organized or repaired so that the presentation of your home can focus on its assets rather than its shortcomings.
Make Time for the Sale
When you put your home on the market, one of two main things will be apparent: you will either live there during the sales process or you are in a position to move out and have it for sale empty. Either way you will need to make sure that you have set aside time to have the home shown to potential buyers by a realtor. If you are living there during the selling process you need to make sure that the home is always kept clean and ready for show practically at any time. Your real estate agent will work with your schedule as best as possible however, their goal is to sell your home; so they are going to need your schedule to be flexible to better meet the schedule of a potential buyer.
Keep it Neutral
For many homebuyers, a first impression “turn off” is homes or rooms that are heavily themed. For some they want to see the home as a blank canvas, picturing what they might do to make the home their own. If you have, for example, a children’s bedroom that has been painted and themed for race cars, and a potential buyer has a little girl… This deterrent may keep them from selecting your home from other homes that are available in the similar price range and location.
The Kitchen and Bathroom
Industry experts will tell you that nearly 40% of a home buying decision is made based on the condition of the kitchen and bathroom. It is important when preparing your home for sale that you take the time to make sure that the kitchen and bathroom are immaculately clean, that everything works as it should and nothing is broken. This might mean a few small repairs all the way through a bathroom or kitchen remodeling project. If your kitchen and bathroom are dated because of the materials used, (avocado colored sinks and yellow tile) renovation will be a decision that you will need to weigh next to the other homes that are for sale in your market. If other homes are for sale at the same price point as yours but have modern, updated bathrooms and kitchens; you might need to adjust your price or choose to renovate to be competitive.
Focus on Fixtures
One of the first things that potential sellers do when updating their home for sale is by the cheapest fixtures that they can to save some money. While this may make sense to your wallet, it may cost you your sale. Spend a few extra dollars to get the more attractive, functional kitchen and bathroom faucets. Purchase the better, more efficient light fixtures for the rooms. You might even consider freshening up a kitchen or bathroom by doing small things like replacing knobs, hinges and accessories that may have become damaged or “dingy” over time.
Don’t forget the yard
People often focus so much on the condition of the home that they forget the yard. Take a few moments to walk through your yard and look for anything that might be unsightly or in disrepair such as sprinkler heads or outdoor lighting. If you have a deck out back or screen porch make sure that it is in good repair and clean. If your home has a shed, consider it a part of your home making sure that everything is clean and ready for display.
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