Blog > Nine Tips for Home Sellers
So, you have decided to sell your home! The selling process is exciting, but stressful. The sale of your home is a decision that you don’t make very often in your lifetime. There are so many moving parts and factors to consider, so here are a few tips to ease the process.
Prepare Your Home to Sell with These Tips…
#1 Enhance Curb Appeal
The sale of your home starts at the curb. This is where the first impression happens, so make it a good one. Power wash the driveway, walkway and/or patio. Give the landscaping some TLC by raking the yards, trimming the hedges, weeding the flower beds and/or sweeping the porches. Create that homey feeling right at the front entry. Make it distinct and welcoming, by considering a new colour for the door and adding pots of colourful flowers. Place the potential buyer in the mindset that this could be their new home, before they even step foot inside of it.
#2 Conquer Clutter
Generally, you can remove half the contents from your bookcases, shelves and closets. Clear your kitchen and bathroom counters, leaving only a few high-style accents. As a good rule of thumb, every box of clutter you remove adds $500 to your bottom line. Delete the clutter, add the money! This is also a great opportunity to help you in your move. Start the purge of what no longer serves you and pack what you’ll love in your new home, but isn’t necessary in your current one.
#3 De-Personalize
Now is a good time to pack up family photos, certificates, trophies, and collectibles. These personal items will inhibit buyers from imagining your house as theirs. Give the prospective homebuyer a clean slate to see themselves living here. It is hard to fall into that imaginative state while they are staring at someone else’s wedding photos or kids on the wall.
#4 Edit Furniture
Furniture can be bulky and disruptive, if not placed properly. Have a look around your home and store any pieces of furniture that feel unnecessary. Rearrange the remaining furniture to improve sight lines, open up traffic flows, and make rooms appear more spacious and inviting. Make sure that you are resetting the space to be as clean and attractive as possible. Fluff the pillows, fold the throw blankets, square and align coasters on the coffee table, etc. The more thought and care that goes into the set up of your home, the more appealing it will be to your prospective buyers.
#5 Repair and Update
Make sure all doors, drawers, switches and faucets work. Make the repairs to any damaged walls and floors. Yes, you are selling the house and you may not want to put any money into it, but it can make the world of a difference to buyers. If a buyer sees visible problems, they will imagine there are even more problems that are hidden. Fix any of the more major problems that you know will be flagged at a home inspection. Without these repairs and updates, you can tack on unnecessary time to the late stage negotiations that can potentially delay your closing. The updates that typically yield the highest return are in the kitchen and bathrooms.
#6 Consider Colour
Generally, you want to neutralize dark, vivid wall colours in favour of the light, sophisticated shades that buyers prefer. Fresh paint can be the easiest and most dramatic improvement you make. Although you may have favoured your dark rooms or accent walls there can be a huge benefit of bringing all of the walls back to a clean, neutral and light colour. Have a look at the trim in the home as well. Running a few lines of caulking and freshening the white trim can also lend a hand in dramatically freshening up the space. Paint is a fairly inexpensive update that can drastically help in the sale of your home.
#7 Clean and Brighten
The cleaner it is, the fresher it feels. Give your house a deep and thorough clean. Wipe down the baseboards, clean the interior and exterior of windows, dust the blinds, deep clean the floors, etc. Using natural cleaners will be kinder to your home and air quality. Avoid leaving a lingering smell of bleach or Pinesol in your home previous to a showing. Now with your freshly painted, light-coloured walls and clean home, make it brighter! Check that all lights have maximum-wattage light bulbs. Open the drapes, raise the blinds and turn up the lights. Show off your assets! The more natural light that you can bring into the home, the better!
#8 Freshen the Air
The quality of the air in the space is more noticeable than you would think. Smells cling to carpets, curtains and upholstery. Take the time to open up the windows while you clean these areas and eliminate lingering odors. When you are at the point of showing your home, avoid cooking strong-smelling foods (ie. bacon, fish or curry) before inviting buyers into your home. And of course, no smoking indoors. Be careful with other scents such as candles, sprays and essential oils. They may freshen up the air, but some buyers may have sensitivities to certain scents.
#9 Create the Wow Factor
Buyers are excited by a house that represents the lifestyle they aspire to. Set your table in the style of a trendy restaurant. Transform your bath into a spa-like retreat with candles and luxury towels. Beautify your bedroom with elements of hotel chic. Your home should be an ongoing experience to prospective buyers. You want them to feel more at home with each room that they enter.
This may seem like a lot of work, but it is more than worthwhile for the sale of your home. The hard work will pay off with the higher value and quicker closing of the house. When your home is ready to list, it is important to have a trusted professional consulting you at each step of the process. Prepping your home is only the first step. It is important to work with a REALTOR® who is committed to working with you and dedicated to getting your home sold in the shortest time for the most amount of money. Your REALTOR® will be with you to list the home, negotiate the price and help with financial solutions. Work with someone that understands the local market, its property types and property values.
