Are you thinking of selling your home this Spring? Here are a few ideas you can start implementing now before your home goes on the market to preserve as much of your home’s equity as you can control. Follow these 7 tips for preparing your home to sell this Spring and you will get more money for your home.
Get Rid of Wallpaper
Wallpaper tends to be a uniquely personal decorative feature, but if you are really trying to improve your homes decoration, then consider removing the wallpaper and paint the wall a neutral color. It is highly unlikely that a buyer will appreciate your wallpaper as much as you do. More likely the buyer is calculating the cost and effort to remove the wallpaper and deducting it from your asking price. Best bet – remove the wallpaper before showing your home and paint the wall with a neutral color.
Get Rid of Pet Evidence
We love our pets, but maybe the other guy doesn’t. Even pet lovers are wondering what possible damage your pet may have caused and discount the price to cover unanticipated repair expenses. Don’t give a buyer the chance to justify a discount. Relocate your pets before any showings.
Deep Clean and Declutter
De-clutter and clean. A messy home implies a poorly maintained home in a buyer’s eyes. A cluttered, unkempt home is a distraction that can be eliminated with a little time and effort. Keep your home in pristine condition for showings, no matter how inconvenient. Don’t risk losing the best available buyer because you didn’t make the effort. Start packing and storing your stuff before putting it on the market Give buyers an opportunity to visualize how they would live in your home. The best way to declutter your home without getting rid of your belongings is by getting a storage unit to have a safe place to keep them.
Pack Collectables
Collectables and antiques often relate to warm memories, but from a marketing standpoint they fall into the category of clutter. Carefully pack and store them in a safe place and out of the buyers’ sightline.
Complete All Basic Maintenance
Basic maintenance is a must. Leaky faucets, loose hinges and door knobs, broken door bells, unsecure toilets that need securing, stuck windows, inoperative range burners, ovens that don’t work properly and the list goes on. Every one of these damaged and dysfunctional items means less equity and fewer dollars in your pocket. Buyers are calculating repair and inconvenience costs; then they reduce your asking price accordingly because that’s how buyers think.
Maximize First Impressions
First impressions matter. In fact, a buyers’ first impression is usually their most memorable, especially when comparing your home to the other 10 homes they saw that day. Your front entrance is the first thing a buyer sees when entering your home. Fresh paint, a new door mat, even a new door if un-repairable, will make a positive first impression in the mind of a prospective buyer. First impressions are lasting impressions. Make a strong, positive statement from the get-go.
Eliminate All Smells and Foul Odors
If it smells, you can’t sell it – so goes the catch-phrase of real estate. Pet odors, stale cooking oil, cigar/cigarette smoke, moth balls, heavy disinfectant aromas to name few, give a buyer a reason to discount your price because each of these are “turn-offs.” A non-aromatic home at a similar price will command a higher price than a “smelly” home. Creating clean, neutral scents are essential to preserving your home’s equity.
Start Now and Save Yourself Money
The cost to correct these deficiencies is relatively inexpensive compared to equity hit you will take if you ignore them. Plan ahead, a real estate professional can help sort out what to do and what not. As a professional marketing expert, we can help you preserve your equity.
More Tips to Help You Prepare Your Home to Sell
Check out Home Improvements that Add Value, 88 Ways to Sell Your Home Faster and for More Money and Best DIY Home Improvements that Add Value.
Preparing to Sell Your Home this Spring?
Are you preparing to sell your home this spring? We can help you determine what things you should focus on and which things you can forget. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars preparing your home to sell. Let our home selling experts customize a plan for you to get the most for your home while spending the least. Call us at (512) 827-8323 or email us at info@11OaksRealty.com to schedule a time for an in-home consultation. In the meantime, check out our Austin Home Seller section for more tips to help your home sell faster and for more money.
What’s Your Austin Home Worth?
Need a more qualified range of what your home is worth in today’s market than what you can find online? Try our Qualified Home Evaluation where one of our home selling specialists will prepare a more detailed analysis for your home’s value.
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