Selling a house can be almost as tricky as buying one for first-timers. Likewise, it’s a big step and a very important choice. Once you’ve decided to sell your property, many details are to be dealt with to secure the best possible deal. If it’s your first time selling a house, fear not: this guide will help you through this process.
Know your business
Before setting the price for your property, it’s crucial to understand how much it’s worth. The housing market can be capricious – to say the least – and maybe you’ll want a professional to assess it.
Find a trustworthy real estate professional that will price your house correctly and even give you tips to increase its market value. The next step is to find a top-notch listing agent who will help you with legalities and strategies to promote your property in the market.
Follow the steps below to make your house even more appealing to prospective buyers.
Scan for minor repairs
Malfunctioning plugs, burned-out lamps, rusty cables, cracked pipes: don’t leave anything behind. Call a handyman to get everything sorted for you. If you need your electrical part fixed or replaced, call passelectric.ca. These may sound like small details, but small details can go a long way.
Your house is more likely to strike a great first impression if everything is impeccable. Consider upgrading kitchen and bathroom appliances for a refined final touch. Go for appliances certified by Energy Star because they’re more energy-efficient.
Lift your external area
If your goal is to strike a great first impression, you can’t overlook the first thing visitors will see in your house: the exterior when they arrive. Give your exterior walls a fresh coat of paint, and also keep the lawn mowed, free from bushes and weeds.
If there’s a pool in the house, keep it clean regardless if it’s full or empty. Don’t leave any branches, leaves, and toys around, as it will give an impression of carelessness. Finally, keep your pathways and sidewalk constantly clean.
Make it smell nice
No one will buy a house that smells bad, and it goes way beyond spraying air fresheners around. Every part of the house must be thoroughly cleaned before every visit. If visitors smell something musty, they’ll begin to worry about mildew and mold. Bad smells in the kitchen, like sulphur or rotten eggs, are signs of poor ventilation or plumbing.
Anyway, a handyman can fix or at least help you identify the source of the problem. Sometimes, the problem is under the sink; other times, it could be faulty vents or traps. Small plumbing problems can dramatically decrease your property value, while they’re quite easy to fix.
Make it brighter
Here’s a simple yet effective trick: get more light bulbs across the house. You don’t want to show a bleak environment to the visitors. So, on top of removing heavy drapes, and removing bushes and branches blocking the windows, add more lamps.
Typically, all lights are kept turned on during visits. It doesn’t only live things up; it also shows that lamps and fixtures are working adequately. Additionally, consider upgrading your lamps to more powerful ones regarding wattage.
Improve the kitchen
The kitchen is one of the most important parts of the house and can be the difference between buying a property and not buying it. There are entire magazines, websites, and articles dedicated to it; how to upgrade it, decorate it, and which appliances to use.
In fact, about 85% of the money invested in improving your kitchen will come back after selling the house. That’s why some listing agents joke about not selling a house but selling a kitchen. Keep colours neutral so that visitors can imagine their own style imprinted on them.
Make room inside
Remember: you’re inviting prospective buyers to come in, not friends. They won’t be interested in family photos, odd colours on the wall, or funky decorations. Going neutral is always the best option here. Neutral colours and decorations don’t get in the way of the visitors’ imagination.
Make your decoration look as generic as possible, and remove any needless furniture cluttering the area. The golden rule here is to never restrain the movement in different parts of the house by only using the necessary furniture.
Re-paint everything
A fresh coat of paint will never fail to rejuvenate your house. Again, go for standard colours, like white, and different shades of gray and beige. Lighter colours will make your house look brighter and even more spacious.
Your visitors won’t be happy to see old paint peeling from the walls, so keep everything impeccable. The investment in painting is relatively small and goes miles in striking a great impression.
Don’t overreach
The main point of preparing a house to sell might be to make it more appealing; all the tips above converge on this one goal. Naturally, it’ll take a little investment to upgrade and improve everything.
Remember that you’re doing it for a commercial purpose: you want to add value to your property. So, it doesn’t make sense to invest loads of money on it because there’s a risk you won’t see it all back. Improve your home, but keep costs to a minimum to maximize your profits.
Ready to sell
Once your house is in its best shape, it’s time to hunt for buyers. Don’t go through this process without professional help. There are many things you can do on your own, like decluttering the house, nurturing the garden, and so on. Yet, it’s important to get a listing agent on your side, and maybe, a house maintenance company, to make sure everything will work smoothly.
