Selling your home is stressful and daunting, and you want to ensure you get the best possible return on investment. After decorating the place to fit your unique needs or living with minor inconveniences such as the occasional leak or aging appliances, it’s time to look at your home from a completely different perspective. Buyers notice everything and will be hyper-aware of how they feel when they drive up to the property. Therefore, follow these steps to ensure your home is in the best condition to sell.
Enhance Your Curb Appeal
Remove your emotional attachment to the house and imagine seeing it for the first time as a prospective buyer. The first thing they will see is the exterior, and if it isn’t well-kept, they might not want to see the rest of the place. Keep your garden well-manicured. This doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money and fill the flowerbeds with exotic, brightly-colored plants, but mow the lawn regularly, remove weeds, and don’t let it become cluttered.
Neutralize the Space
Nobody has the same taste, but bright colors and unique furniture might be off-putting. You can embellish your home however you like, but a buyer might struggle to see past busy wallpaper or extravagantly decorated rooms. Consider a neutral color palette, which will feel like a blank space and remove clutter. It will create a calm, alluring setting for everyone that walks through the door.
Perform Minor Upgrades
Some parts of your home will be deal-breakers, such as a dated kitchen, a worn wooden deck, and old siding. According to Remodeling Magazine, in 2020, the renovations that saw the most significant return on investment were minor kitchen remodels, siding replacement investments with fiber-cement or vinyl, and wooden deck additions. Rather than spending money on a big upgrade, consider a minor kitchen remodel, such as replacing some aging appliances, updating the cabinet doors, updating the countertops, or changing the flooring.
Focus Your Money on Foundational Updates
Superficial changes are essential to attract buyers’ interest, but they’ll want to know a lot more about the home before deciding to buy it. Depending on their lifestyle and financial situation, they might be weary of home improvements. Therefore, assess the parts of your home that might be deal breakers, such as an old or damaged roof, aging water heaters, water damage, and more.
Roof damage affects the entire home, leading to leaks, poor insulation, and many more. Since roofs deteriorate over time, buyers will want to know your roof’s age and condition. A brand-new roof is highly appealing, and a replacement roof can yield 85% or more of its investment costs back upon resale. Assess your roof’s condition and consider replacing it if necessary.
Check your water heater’s age. According to Bob Vila, traditional tank-style water heaters last 8 to 12 years, so it may be time to replace yours. If it’s reaching the end of its life, it might work less efficiently, affecting the water temperature and pressure.
Deep Clean and Declutter
Once you’ve addressed structural issues, it’s time to clean the whole place thoroughly. Wash your baseboards, scrub your floors, dust, vacuum, polish, and mop. A dirty home is a huge deterrent, and you want it to look its best.
Sort your things and donate, recycle, or throw away stuff you no longer need. Since you’re about to move, doing this early will make packing much easier. Clutter makes rooms look smaller and feel claustrophobic, and creates the misconception that the home might not have enough storage space.
It’s time for the next family to make your home their own. Let them see it as a place to create memories, bond, and spend time with friends. Make the necessary changes like updating appliances, evaluating your roof’s condition, decluttering, deep cleaning, and more, so that every prospective buyer feels at home when they walk through the door.
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