Like most sellers, you want the most money possible for your house for sale. Here are a few tips to help increase your home’s value before listing it on the market. By following these simple steps, you can make your house more attractive to potential buyers and get a quicker sale at a higher price.
Maintenance and Repairs
When you’re selling your home, first impressions are everything. Buyers will often make up their minds about a property within the first few minutes of seeing it, and if they see that it needs repairs or maintenance, they’ll be quick to write it off.
Not only does this decrease the chances of selling your home, but it also can lead to lower offers and a longer time on the market.
Buyers are typically looking for a move-in ready home and are unwilling to take on projects that they perceive as costly or time-consuming. Even minor repairs, such as a hole in the wall or a loose doorknob, can deter buyers from making an offer. So, before listing your home for sale, it’s essential to take care of all repairs and maintenance items to increase its appeal and ensure a faster sale at a higher price.
Some relatively inexpensive home improvements that could add considerable value to your home include:
- Caulking windows, bathtubs, showers, and toilets
- Replacing doorknobs and locks
- Updating light fixtures
- Upgrading bathrooms and kitchens with new faucets
- Adding new cabinet handles and drawer pulls
- Installing new window blinds
Staging Your Home
When you stage your house for sale, you prepare it to be shown to potential buyers. This process typically involves four main phases: decluttering, depersonalizing, cleaning, and accessorizing.
In the decluttering phase, you will want to remove any personal items or furniture that could clutter the space or make it seem smaller than it is. This includes things like family photos, collections, and excess furniture. This is a great time to make donations, have a yard sale, and pack away anything you won’t immediately need until after your upcoming move.
In the depersonalizing phase, you will want to neutralize the space as much as possible. This means painting walls in neutral colors, removing any bold or statement-making elements, and ensuring that no personal items are on display.
In the cleaning phase, you will want to deep clean the entire house from top to bottom. This includes scrubbing floors and surfaces, dusting all corners and crevices, and disinfecting bathrooms and kitchens. If you’re not up to the task of deep cleaning, consider hiring a cleaning company to do the hard work for you.
Finally, in the accessorizing phase, you will want to add a few key pieces of furniture or decor to help make the space more inviting. This might include fruit on the kitchen table or a vase of fresh flowers in the living room.
Properly staging your house can help you earn a higher sales price by making it more appealing to potential buyers.
Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is the overall attractiveness of a property when viewed from the street. It’s important because it’s one of the first things potential buyers will see, and it can influence their opinion of the property.
You can do several simple things to improve curb appeal, such as power washing the exterior, replacing window and door screens, painting the front door, clearing debris from the yard, pulling weeds, trimming hedges, mowing the lawn, and planting flowers. If there’s a porch, painting it will also add a fresh element to curb appeal.
These small changes can make a big difference in how your home is perceived and potentially lead to a higher sales price.
Professional Photos and Videos
Professional photos and videos are vital to attracting buyers and getting top dollar for your property when listing your house for sale. In today’s real estate market, most homebuyers start their search online. That means the pictures you share of your home will play a significant role in whether or not someone decides to visit the property in person.
Professional photos and videos will show your home in its best light and help to highlight its best features. This could lead to more interest from buyers and potentially even a higher price for your home.
A Seller's Real Estate Agent
Selling a house is a big decision and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. There are a lot of factors to consider, from repairs and staging to marketing and pricing. Hiring the right seller’s agent can make all the difference in earning top dollar for your home.
A good agent will have extensive knowledge of the local market and will be able to advise you on what repairs, if any, you need to make before putting your home on the market. They’ll also be able to help you stage your home in a way that is appealing to buyers and makes the best use of your space. And, perhaps most importantly, they’ll know how to price your home competitively. Pricing a home too low will leave money on the table, while pricing it too high could cause it to sit on the market for months, slowly losing value.
When negotiating offers, a real estate agent can expertly navigate the process and ensure that you get the best possible price for your home. Selling a house is a complex process, but with the help of a qualified agent, you can rest assured that you’re in good hands.
Conclusion
Selling your home can be a daunting task, but there are several things you can do to raise the value of your property. These include depersonalizing and cleaning your home, adding curb appeal, and hiring a professional photographer to take pictures and videos. You should also enlist the help of a qualified seller’s real estate agent to get the best possible price for your home. With a little effort, you can maximize the value of your home and earn a higher sales price.
