When it comes time to sell your house, chances are you want the process to go as quickly and smoothly as possible. During rough times, anything that you can do to improve your homes value and resale potential can help usher this process along. One of the easiest ways to do this is to properly stage your home. This is a simple and affordable step that can go a long way in improving your likelihood to sell. By simply de-cluttering and cleaning your home, you can allow potential buyers the opportunity to better mentally and visually move into your home.
Cleanliness
General cleanliness gives a potential buyer the signal that a home has been maintained and taken care of. Clean your home thoroughly, both inside and out. If your home is cluttered and messy, many buyers will wonder what problems exist under the surface. You should fix any leaky faucets, clean the grout, replace light bulbs and clear all spider webs, dead bugs and other debris from windows and fixtures. If you have children, place all of their toys in decorative storage boxes.
Cleanliness
General cleanliness gives a potential buyer the signal that a home has been maintained and taken care of. Clean your home thoroughly, both inside and out. If your home is cluttered and messy, many buyers will wonder what problems exist under the surface. You should fix any leaky faucets, clean the grout, replace light bulbs and clear all spider webs, dead bugs and other debris from windows and fixtures. If you have children, place all of their toys in decorative storage boxes.
Curb Appeal
The outside of your home is just like making a first impression at a job interview. Make sure that you do not have chipped paint or other imperfections that can lower a buyer's opinion right off the bat. Also make sure that your lawn is clean and trim, including any bushes, hedges and landscaping. Clean all clutter from your front entryway to make your home as inviting as possible.
Removing Clutter
Whatever you have to do to take care of it, remove as much clutter from your home as possible. You can store it, trash it, donate it or hide it. Regardless of the steps that you take, removing the clutter from your home will greatly increase your chance of a quick sale. This is also a great way to increase the number of people who will come see your home after looking at pictures online. In addition to removing clutter, remove all family photos, sentimental keepsakes and other personalized items so that buyers imagine themselves in the house, rather than your own family. Furnishings should be simple and appealing to many different tastes.
Living Areas
Whenever they go shopping, buyers want to be able to envision themselves enjoying time with family and guests when viewing the living areas. Help them out by making it warm and inviting, with plenty of room for conversations, entertaining and other social activities. Clean your windows and remove heavy drapes to make these spaces open, airy and cheerful.
Kitchens
A good kitchen is a great way to improve resale value. Start by removing all appliances, utensils, toasters, coffee machines or drying racks from your counter tops. If you are able to, perform a few simple kitchen upgrades on your cabinets and counters. For the most cost-effective upgrade, paint or stain your cabinets rather than installing new ones. Another great way to make an inexpensive splash is to replace kitchen faucets, lights and other fixtures with new ones.
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