If you’re planning to put your home on the market in the foreseeable future, it goes without saying that you are hoping to sell your home as quickly as possible and get your asking price. Set the stage for success with these 21 tips for styling and upgrading your home, and see results — fast.
Interior checklist to prep your home for the market:
1. Depersonalize and neutralize your home.
Homebuyers are wanting to envision how their family’s personality will look in their new home. Put away the family portraits for now.
2. Create defined spaces for each room.
Potential homebuyers are wanting to visualize their own family and things in the home. If you have an open concept room, help them visualize what their rooms could be used for!
3. Fix things you didn’t fix while living there.
Everyone has a list of things to fix in their home, but sometimes we keep putting it off. Now it’s time to just get it done and trust me, it’s worth the time! You don’t want the home inspector to find it, because that gives the buyer more negotiation power.
4. Research the value of your home (and be realistic).
Here is the ‘Coles Notes’ about finding home values — they can be found by taking a look at comparable sold listings around your area with the same number of bedrooms, bathrooms, floor plan, upgrades, etc.. That being said, there is a lot more to it than that, but that gives you an idea on where to start. At the end of the day when it comes to finding the right Realtor, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of understanding real estate valuations.
5. Paint the walls.
Painting the walls can provide a refreshed look that could be the thing that causes a buyer to feel like the home is move in ready. Think white or light grey!
6. DEEP clean your carpet.
This is crucial, especially if you have light coloured carpet. Deep cleaning your carpet can refresh the “smell” in your house. As a Realtor, I can honestly say the first thing I do when I walk into a home is take a deep breath in, and point out smells to my buyers!!
7. Get a home stager.
First, ask your Realtor if they offer this service. Getting a home stager can help with making each room in your home show to the best of it’s ability.
8. Hire a cleaning service before showings start
Having your house cleaned will make it more likely to have potential buyers feel more comfortable in it. Don’t under estimate this point.
9. Go Marie Kondo on your cabinets and drawers.
Keep all of your things behind cabinets and drawers CLEAN & organized! I know, it’s weird to think that buyers would be opening your drawers. But they want to see how much storage the built-ins have (and I don’t blame them).
10. Store your junk in a storage unit.
All of us have clutter. Remove the clutter and store it away from the house (not in the garage). Biggest tip here is to make the potential buyer feel the space available in the home! The best advice I can give to sellers is “less is always more”.
Exterior checklist to prep your home for the market:
11. Increase your curb appeal
80% of my clients do a drive-by before they ask me to book a showing. Make sure you make a great first impression, because you never get a second chance at a first impression.
12. Paint the exterior
If you have paint chipping, please for the love of selling your home, get your home repainted. Having paint chip outside may make potential home buyers wonder what other types of maintenance may have gone neglected. If there are rotting facia boards, missing gutter pieces, gutters full of leafs, please just get the work done! Home inspectors point all of these things out to buyers and more!
13. Get some fresh flowers in pots.
Fresh flowers on the front porch makes every space a little more cheery and adds a pop of colour.
14. Refresh your doormats and planters.
Replace your faded doormat with a new, neutral doormat as well as replacing planters with fresh ones.
15. Change out the exterior light fixtures.
Sometimes, changing the exterior light fixtures will bring some life back to your home. Investing less than $50 per light fixture may be worth it if you can sell your home faster!
17. Backyard Patio
If you have a backyard patio, please sweep and cleanup this area. As one of the most important areas for entertaining, help your potential home buyer see how they can have friends and family over.
Extra checklist to prep your home for the market:
16. Get selling timing right
If you are thinking about selling your home, I would recommend selling in the spring or fall (before December) when buyers are actively looking. This is also when you have the greatest opportunity to get the most value out of your home.
17. Tour other homes and open houses
Touring other open houses and homes for sale may provide you ideas on what works in terms of staging and paint colours. Imagine if you were the buyer going in – this will help you provide perspective on your own home.
18. Professional real estate photographer
Make sure your Realtor offers this service***. In this age of modern technology, everyone will be looking at your home online. Making sure you have top notch photos of your home is the BEST thing you can do!
19. YouTube Virtual Tours
Go one step further and ask your Realtor if YouTube Virtual Tours is a service they offer! Buyers appreciate virtual tours of homes and buyers who might be cold leads can become warmer leads once they view the tour!
20. Review Listing Strategy
Make sure you go with a Realtor who has a listing strategy. This is something that shouldn’t be over looked and needs to be asked when you’re interviewing agents.
Please visit my website for a detailed listing strategy and the services I offer my clients: http://homesbybre.com/sell/
I can also help you buy your next home as well! I offer exclusive Buying services, MLS access and so much more. http://homesbybre.com/buy/
21. Pay for an Inspection Yourself
Paying for an inspection yourself offers Buyers the peace of mind that you’re not hiding any issues with the home – which can potentially save you thousands of dollars. You’ll know the exact condition of your home and we will be able to price it accordingly or make repairs first to maximize the sale price.
I hope that this lists helps you! I know it can be pretty stressful when you are trying to sell, and it is my job to take as much of the stress out of the process as I possibly can! Taking on a few of these steps will help you get top dollar for your home quickly!
Call me for more information! 902-880-5555 or email: brehannah@bryantrealty.ca
Sources: forbes, sengerson, realtor.ca, houzz.com
