Simple Repairs to Help Your Home Show Better and Sell Faster
Monday, January 9th, 2017Thinking of selling your home and want to protect your investment and make the most you possibly can? Take care of these top 8 items to put your home in the best possible position for a quick and effortless sale.
- First Impressions make all the difference! Repaint or replace the front door, making sure it opens, closes and locks easily. Remove dirt and cobwebs around light fixtures and the siding. Trim up any landscaping. Tighten up any loose handrails.
- Clean and de-clutter. If you don’t need it, donate it or toss it. If you don’t know where to start, contact a home staging company. Scrub the floors clean. Repaint or touch up the walls. If you have a small home, remove excess furniture to make the rooms feel spacious. Keep it light and bright. Open draperies. Get rid of dated or broken window treatments.
- The smell of your home can make or break a deal. A clean home smells good. Don’t try to cover up smells with candles and plug in air fresheners…buyers instantly wonder what you are covering up. A better solution is to let the fresh air in and clean your home. Launder bedding and any pet beds. Clean the carpets.
- If it is broken, fix it. Simple broken items like leaky faucets, broken window panes or windows that won’t open should be fixed.
- Floor coverings. Clean, fresh floor coverings are best. For hard surfaces, make sure they are clean. Make sure they are freshly vacuumed and cleaned – even if they are dated.
- Windows. Let the light in! Clean the windows – inside and outside. If there is peeling and chipping paint, scrap it, prime it and paint it. Make sure all the windows are able to be opened. WD-40 can be used to loosen up hinges.
- Paint. Fresh paint cleans up many walls and makes the house smell clean. Keep your color choices neutral – whites, beiges and greys are best.
- Staging. Once you have gone through this list, consider hiring a stager or invite J.S. Realty over to walk through your home to recommend removal or addition of furniture and personal items to make rooms feel more appealing to buyers. You only have one chance to make a first impression, whether that is pictures that are taken of your home or a buyer’s first walk through the door.
Plan ahead and put a little work into it to get your home ready to sell. You’ll be pleased with the results and can thank us later!
