11 Ways to Get Your House in Tip-Top Shape
Prior to Selling It!
Many people want to know what the secret is to getting the most out of their property, and appeal to the most buyers. This report will tell you about the things you can do to help get the most dollars when selling your home.
1. Paint the interior! Most buyers appreciate a fresh coat of paint, and this will help enhance your property's value. It will also help brighten your rooms, and give them a clean, new appearance. Stay away from bold or bright colours, and focus more on lighter, softer earth tone shades. These colours will help make the rooms feel larger and will appeal to a larger group of potential buyers.
2. Paint the outside! Curb appeal is important, and there is nothing worse than a house that has peeling paint and is in desperate need of painting. Of course, whether you can paint the exterior depends on the weather and the time of year, but if at all possible, do it. Stick with soft, light neutral colours, and stay away from bright colours that others may not like.
3. Pick up any outside debris, trash or clutter! First impressions make a huge impact on potential buyers. If you property has unwanted clutter, your home will make a very poor first impression. A few hours of raking, cleaning, and picking up odds-and-ends could add a great deal to the value of your home.
4. Reduce extras from your home! Rooms with too much furniture or decoration can often detract from the showing of your home. Too much décor can make rooms look smaller and hurt your chances of selling. Store all unneeded furniture and knick-knacks while trying to sell your home. Your goal is to make the house appear spacious and comfortable.
5. Be sure and open blinds and draperies! When your property is in tip-top shape and ready to show, having as much natural light as possible will help brighten your home and give it a good feel.
6. Avoid playing music! Although you may like having music play in the background during a showing, it can be a deterrent to the buyers. Keep music off while your home is being shown.
7. Price your home correctly, right from the beginning! Many buyers have the idea that they can always come down in price, but this can be a bad attitude to have. Many buyers feel that if a home has been listed for a long time that there is something wrong with it. Most agents will tell you that the most activity occurs during the first two to three weeks of the original listing date. After a few weeks, the activity will begin to taper off and showings will cease. If your home is priced incorrectly from the beginning, it will not get a lot of showings. The longer your home is on the market the more buyers will feel that something’s wrong with it. Price your home right at the beginning to help get the most activity and a quicker sale.
8. Have your carpets cleaned! It’s a good idea to have your carpets cleaned and your hardwood floors polished or waxed. This is normally not too expensive and can add a lot of appeal to potential buyers.
9. Hire a staging company! If possible hire a staging company to maximize your home's appeal. Many real estate firms have a staging company or have people on staff that can help in this service. Feel free to ask me about how I can help with staging too.
10. Purchase new linens and towels for bathrooms! This can instantly update the look of the bathroom area, and make the space feel clean and fresh.
11. Consider wallpapering! Be careful here, and don't use bold or daring papers. Instead, use a light, neutral theme when wallpapering. Dark colours make rooms look smaller, so stay away from any prints that may make the room look small or busy.
*Adapted from an article written by John D. Mayfield ABR, ABRM, GRI, e-PRO, CRB.
Contact us for more tips on selling Airdrie real estate.