First impressions are crucial, and improving the look of your property can help you sell your home faster and for more money. Whether you’re a first-time home seller or you need a refresher, here’s a quick list of simple things that can help you get your house in tip-top shape and ready to sell.
Outside: Optimize your Curb Appeal!
The attractiveness of your property, as viewed from the street, is one of the most important marketing tools in selling your home. The whole idea behind curb appeal is to accomplish one goal: entice prospective buyers to look inside the house. Here’s a few things you can do to maximize your home’s “wow factor” and get them in the door:
- Clean and tidy exterior surfaces, doorways, eavestroughs and downspouts
- Make sure all fences and gates are in good condition
- Sidewalks and driveway clean and in good repair
- Mow and edge the lawn, rake leaves, and clean up any pet “surprises”
- Prune unruly tees pruned, trim hedges
- Weed and tidy the flower beds
- Put away bicycles, toys, sports equipment, etc.
- Stack firewood neatly
Inside: Clean it and Stage it!
Once your awesome curb appeal has set the stage for prospective buyers, “clean” is the first word for the inside of your house. “Tidy” comes in a close second, though. Wherever possible, simplify the surroundings – as a general rule, the more things there are to look at, the smaller the room feels. Here’s a few other things you’ll want to think about:
- Clean floors, walls, ceilings, doors, windows and mirrors – remove smudges and stains
- If you have kids like I do, make sure you clean around your light switches…
- Replace any broken or burned-out light bulbs
- Make sure pet areas are clean, organized, and odour-free
- Organize all closets – remove as much as you can
- Make the kitchen and bathrooms shine!
- Put up clean towels in the bathrooms
- Remove any personal items from the medicine cabinet
- Consider re-painting rooms with a neutral shade to appeal to as many buyers as possible
- Consider removing family portraits and replacing them with small mirrors – this will help potential buyers “see themselves” in the home!
At the end of the day, when you put your home on the market, you’re in the business of selling – and you want your product to look its best. If you spend a little time putting your home’s best face forward, you’ll reap the rewards of a potentially quicker sale and a higher selling price.