A good first impression is vital when selling your home, you want it to look its absolute best for potential buyers as they form an opinion on your house within the first 7-10 seconds of stepping through the front door. Here are a few tips to help sell your home as quickly as possible and get your asking price:
Boost curb appeal – the first thing a prospective buyer will see when doing a drive-by or arriving at the property is the exterior of the house. Make it look inviting, hang easy-to-read house numbers, power wash walk ways, mow the lawn, plant flowers and greenery and wash all windows to make the property look well kept.
Invite visitors in with a welcoming entrance, remove all clutter like shoes and coats, even adding a new clean doormat can make a difference. Keep the space simple but welcoming to start the buyers off on the right foot.
Remove all clutter. Clutter takes up space and space is what sells. Make your home look bigger by getting down to basics; either throw it away or store it neatly out of sight like the attic or offsite storage. All floor and surfaces should be clutter free, whilst cupboards and built-in wardrobes should be neatly organised as buyers will be opening them to look at their potential storage.
De-personalise the space to help the prospective buyer visualise the space as their own. Take down all photos from walls, surfaces and anything hanging on the fridge. Keep clothes stored away and clear bathrooms of toothbrushes etc. Strike a balance between clean and lived in, even though you are stripping out the personalised things – add some vases of cut flowers, candles, a bowl of lemons or a basket of fresh farmers market produce on the kitchen counter, bars of soap should be fresh and clean, towels spotless, the bin always emptied. this will heighten the senses with the smells and colours and give an overall more pleasant feeling of the room.
Deep clean the entire house from the floors to ceilings. Ensuring all windows, cupboards, counters are sparkling, scrubbed grout and ovens. A squeaky clean home suggests to buyers that the current tenants took good care of the property. It can even be worth hiring a professional cleaner for this to help do the really tough stuff, especially if you have a large house.
Refresh – refreshing the walls can be a bit more time and cost intensive but it can make a major difference when it comes to the sale price and time on the market. Choose sophisticated neutral colours that make the home look well put together as bright garish colours can be a turn off. Patch and repair any scratches, holes and or other impurities to make the place look well maintained.
Use extra rooms wisely. Each room should have a clearly defined purpose like an office, kids room or a guest room. Show how you can use awkward areas. If you have any room beneath the stairs, or a nook or alcove anywhere in your home, try to find a unique way to show it off. By setting up a small work station, a home command center with a bulletin board, or built-in shelving, your awkward spot becomes another selling point.
Brighten up by letting as much natural light in the house as possible. Open all blinds and curtains on the windows and turn on all the lights and lamps in your house – this also saves the buyer having to test the lights for themselves.
Beware of pet odors. Really, this can be a big one! If you have pets, get all rugs steam cleaned and be extra vigilant about vacuuming and washing surfaces. Also be sure to keep any extra-loved pet toys and doggie bones hidden when tours are scheduled. Use air fresheners and candles to get rid of any faint smells and make your house smell fresh.