You are ready to move up to a new house and have to sell your existing house. Obviously, you are anxious to get the best price and sell as quickly and painlessly as possible. If you haven't done this before or, at least recently, you are in for a big surprise. Buyers are becoming very sophisticated and demanding and sellers are becoming more competitive. The goal is to make your home more appealing than others in your price range. Here are some of the best ways to set your house apart from the competition.
Curb Appeal
This is what gets potential buyers to and in the front door. Wash the siding, doors, garage doors and shutters. Repaint any faded or chipped paintwork. Consider changing the colour of your front door to black. Most homes carry a black door very well and it gives a look of sophistication. Add a few decorative accessories, perhaps new numbers and light fixtures to complete the look.
Don't forget the yard. Prune all shrubs, deadhead your flowers and plant annuals for instant colour. Get the lawn looking great and weed free. Lastly, if you have a gravel driveway, consider getting a fresh load of gravel to top it up. If you driveway is concrete, a good pressure wash will clean it up nicely.
Repairs
Walk through your house with a critical eye. Anything that is broken, damaged or missing must be repaired or replaced. Leaving unfinished projects or repairs gives the impression that you do not care about the house and there could be other things wrong. It also suggests you do not like your house, so they won't like it either.
Staging
A spotlessly clean house and well presented house will attract the most attention and sell quicker and for more money than a poorly presented home. Stage your home to appeal to the broadest demographics possible.
Look at your décor and furniture. Does it look up-to-date, clean and appealing? Potential buyers need to be impressed with how you live in the home in order to make them want to live there too. Decluttering and repainting in warm, neutral colours helps to give a comfortable, stress free feel to any room.
In your kitchen, clean off your countertops but decorate the room such that it looks like a fully functional and efficient space. Using a bowl of fresh lemons on the counter is a cute, cheerful trick.
Odours
If you have pets or smokers in your house, you need to eradicate these smells immediately. Put an end to any smoking in the house for starters. As for pets, if they can stay with friends or family, that works the best. If not, bathe them and shampoo their beds or furniture that they frequent. The problem with pets is not always just the odour, but because so many people suffer from allergies, the dander in your pet's fur may cause the allergies of a potential buyer to flare up. Guaranteed they won't get the warm and fuzzies for you home.
Lastly, make sure you ask your agent for their honest opinion on the presentation of your home. If they are good agents, they will be honest and forthright. If your budget is prohibitive to address everything the agent suggests, have them prioritize the list. They will know exactly what buyers are willing to overlook and what they will not.
