On average, it takes 65-93 days to sell a home. Can you wait that long?
If you’re eager to sell your home, you want to give it the best possible chance of success. But how can you attract serious buyers, generate busy open houses, and hopefully get into a bidding war?
To have a successful sale, you need to know how to prepare your home to sell.
What are the top things every homeowner should do when preparing for a sale?
Read on to find out
1. How to Prepare Your Home to Sell? Declutter
When preparing your home for sale, you’ll want it to look as best as it can, to appeal to potential buyers. One of the best ways to do this is by decluttering.
Although you and your family love all your vacation photos, artwork from the kids, and your special knick-knacks, they aren’t doing your home any favors. It can help to depersonalize your home, putting away things like photos and family momentos.
It’s also useful to declutter as much as you can, which can make the home look larger and cleaner. Toss old magazines or newspapers, clean off shelves and the fireplace mantle, and tidy all of your bookshelves and hallway tables.
It will make your home look more open and airy, allowing potential buyers to visualize how their own furniture and belongings would look in the home.
2. Add a Fresh Coat of Paint
Before selling your home, one of the easiest ways to help it stand out is by giving the walls a new coat of paint.
Sticking to a simple, neutral color, like eggshell white or beige, creates consistency through the home. It can also help the space look larger and help rooms appear to blend together more naturally.
Hiring a residential house painting company ensures the job is done quickly and to a high standard, perfect if you’re looking to get the home listed as soon as you can.
3. Think About Your Curb Appeal
First impressions matter, so you want potential buyers to be wowed as soon as they arrive at the property.
Is your house dressed to impress? That is, does it have instant curb appeal, catching the eye of a buyer as soon as they pull up?
The yard and entry to your home need to look gorgeous, tidy, and lush— if the home doesn’t look good from the outside, why would buyers bother looking inside?
Luckily, there are quite a few easy ways to improve your home’s exterior, without spending a fortune.
You can hire a lawn service to ensure your grass is trimmed and healthy, plant a few flower beds, replace your old mailbox, clean out the gutters, and consider repainting the front door. Sometimes, a pop of color, like a brick red or navy blue, can really make your home stand out.
4. Eliminate Bad Smells
No one wants to walk into a home with unpleasant smells. However, you may not even realize that your home smells a bit like dogs, kitty litter, old soccer cleats, or stale food, as it’s something we can easily get used to.
Giving your home a thorough clean before any home inspections will help, but you can also go the extra mile.
Clean with lemon and vinegar, bake fresh cookies, or light candles with a subtle scent in the home. Smell is one of the most powerful senses, so a home that smells pleasant and inviting will instantly get noticed— in a good way!
5. Hire a Staging Company
Is your home currently vacant? Or, is your home furniture not that impressive?
If you’re willing to spend the money on staging, it can help your home sell fast and for a higher amount. Staging companies will decorate your home with furniture, interior design, and unique touches, like fresh flowers.
Staging can help accentuate the best aspects of your home, turning it into a model showroom. A home that is styled and furnished usually attracts more attention than an empty home, as it becomes easier for buyers to see how the home will look when furnished.
6. Organize Closets
One thing potential buyers are always on the lookout for is storage space, especially in closets. In our bedrooms, we want plenty of space to store our belongings— coats, shoes, jackets, workwear, and accessories.
The kids need plenty of space as well, not just for clothes, but also for toys, games, art supplies, and more.
As they are inspecting the home, buyers are sure to open closets to see how much space they will have. If a closet is messy and overflowing with clutter, it’s going to look unappealing, no matter how big the space is.
Instead, tidy and organize your closets. Pack away as much as you can in advance, leaving a pretty, clean closet that will look inviting to buyers.
Not just closets, but also do the same with kitchen drawers, the pantry, and your laundry room and basement. You want potential buyers to open doors to see an opportunity, not your dirty laundry!
7. Deep Clean
How to prepare your home for sale? It may seem obvious, but make sure it’s as clean as possible!
Bedrooms, kitchens, common areas, and even the garage should be sparkling-clean. It may be helpful to hire professional cleaners to help with the home before a big open house.
Make sure to dust everywhere, vacuum, make the beds, put away any dishes from the sink, and brush away any cobwebs near the ceiling or corners.
If in doubt, you can always ask your realtor about what areas are best to focus on when cleaning.
Use These Tips for Selling Your Home Quickly
Now that you know how to prepare your home to sell, use the tips above to ensure your home is looking picture-perfect before going on the market.
In most cities and towns, real estate can be incredibly competitive. However, we all want to sell for the highest possible profit, and as fast as we can.
With the tips above, you’re sure to attract interested buyers and generate lots of interest in your beautiful home.
Did you find this article helpful? If so, please browse some of our other content.
