When you plan to sell your home, it’s worth taking a little time to make sure that it’s in good shape so that it will attract plenty of potential buyers. This is important because even if your property is located in a popular area, you may find that you’re competing with lots of other vendors. Be sure to take a fresh look at both the interior décor and how the exterior is presented, and check the ways in which you can improve your building’s capacity to attract interest. Here are five tips on how to make your home stand out to buyers.
- Create curb appeal
It’s helpful to create interest in your property from people who happen to be passing as well as those who are actively seeking a home. Check out the external surfaces of your building and clean them up or repaint if necessary. Pay attention to trims, such as window and door frames, and to any fencing around your front yard. The driveway surface should be clean and clear of any clutter. Should your lawn be a little overgrown, tidy it as much as possible, and add one or two attractive flowering plants in containers or window boxes to dress up the outside and give your home instant curb appeal.
- Make repairs and clean, clean, clean
Even the best-maintained home will often have one or two things that you never got around to fixing. If this is the case, now is the time to put right those broken light fittings or cracked tiles in the kitchen. Your home should look cared for, so mend what you can, and consider investing in professional help for jobs that you can’t tackle yourself.
Deep cleaning is your next task and one of the most important in order to make a good first impression with buyers. You need to get into all those awkward corners and remove any dirt or grime that has built up over time. If there are pets in your household, check thoroughly for animal hairs, and stow any pet equipment and toys safely out of the way.
- Bring in the sunshine
When the deep cleaning is finished, look around your home to check if some areas might need a coat of paint. It’s best to opt for neutral shades, and using paler colors will make your rooms look bigger. Another tip to make your home appear larger is to increase the amount of natural daylight. By using stylish window shutters instead of bulky curtains or fussy blinds, you can show off the clear and elegant lines of your window openings. Shutters can be made to measure if needed, and you can easily fit them yourself. They will control the amount of light in your rooms and add to the feeling of spaciousness.
- Declutter
Once potential buyers walk through your front door, they should find themselves in a bright, airy home that is spotlessly clean and beautifully decorated. All this will go to waste, however, if your kitchen countertops and other surfaces are unnecessarily cluttered. Now is the time to clear away anything that is making your rooms look untidy – this can also make them look overcrowded. You can always have a yard sale, and you might find willing neighbors who will take unwanted goods off your hands. In addition, this is a good way to depersonalize your property a little, as you want potential buyers to be able to imagine themselves and their own belongings making a new home there.
- Parade your home comforts
As visitors walk around your property, they’ll want to get the impression that your home is cozy and comfortable. To help them along, make sure that your rooms are made more inviting by using attractive scatter cushions and throws on couches, chairs, and beds. Accent rugs should be placed in front of seating and made secure against slippage. Place coffee tables on rugs, and if you happen to be making a cup of coffee in your kitchen when potential buyers arrive, so much the better, as the familiar aroma is known to be appealing.
Finally, whether or not you are using a realtor, you should make sure that plenty of useful information is easily available to potential buyers. They will be grateful for any extra tips that you can give them about, for example, the locations of schools, local stores, and restaurants, as well as medical centers, pharmacies, and perhaps places of worship.