7 Steps to Make Your Home More Appealing to Buyers

Are you preparing to save your home? You don’t have to tear out your walls (or your hair) to attract buyers and improve the value of your home. There are many simple ways to make a big impact on buyers. You won’t recognize your home, and it won’t cost you a ton of time or money.

Take Advantage Of Spring (Or Winter, Summer, Or Fall) Cleaning Season

Put yourself in a potential buyer’s shoes. Do you like dirt? Do you like foul odors? Do you want to spend thousands of dollars on a house that has them? Hopefully, your answer is “no,” and if it isn’t, please send me your mother’s phone number. Regardless, your buyer’s answer will be a resounding NO if they feel the need to shower after they leave. Get into those nooks and crannies that are ignored by your routine cleaning. Ask a friend to point out spots you may have missed like a cobweb in the basement or the dust in a vent. You’d be shocked at what others notice!

Declutter

Take a look around your house and imagine packing up EVERYTHING you see. Then imagine loading it into a car, hauling it to your new space, unloading that truck, and finding a place for everything. I’m tired just from typing that sentence. I know your cassette tape collection screams nostalgia, but do you really need EVERY cassette? The one-year-rule is a really helpful, simple guide in deciding what stays and what goes. If you haven’t touched it in a year, you probably don’t need to keep it. You may even find yourself getting an early start on packing for your upcoming move. The less stuff you have in your house, the easier your move will be, so take advantage of off-site storage if you’re able; if not, see if you have a spare bedroom or other unused space you can use. Your buyer would probably rather see stacks of boxes than a creepy portrait of your great-great-great Uncle Albert starring at them in the attic next to your great-grandmother’s porcelain doll collection. After all, they know you’re moving, so they’ll be ok seeing some signs of disarray, but you are trying to sell something; show it at its best!

Paint The Town…Beige?

Ok, so that doesn’t sound very exciting, but it’s true that light, neutral tones such as beige, gray, or taupe are best. It works with any décor, takes some of the workloads of the buyer, and allows them to see more creative possibilities for their future home. The home is now move-in ready OR ready for them to add a splash of color if they choose, so they can’t lose! New paint also gives the house a new, fresh feeling, and what buyer wouldn’t want that!?

Put The Hoover Away For Good

Sorry shag, but hardwood floors are IN! Beautiful hardwood floors could be hiding under an old, dirty carpet. Spend a few extra dollars to have them buffed, and your floors will gleam as hardwood is much easier to clean and add a beautiful, shiny touch to photos. If your buyers want hardwood floors, you’ve saved them the work of ripping up your old carpet; if they want carpet, their floors are ready for installation.

Trim The Bushes

First impressions matter when selling a home, and your yard is your house’s first impression. Make it count! Trim your trees and bushes, plant a few flowers, get rid of anything decaying, and throw a nice welcome mat on the front porch. After all, if they see you didn’t take care of the outside of the house, they just might assume you didn’t take care of the inside either, and that assumption could keep them from even walking through the door.

Don’t Forget The Trimmings

There’s no way around it; baseboards and trim get gross and beat up over the years. Fortunately, you already scrubbed them down when you did your deep cleaning, right?? But what about scuffs, cracks, and other wear and tear? Get some caulking gum, a paintbrush, and whatever easy-to-use, inexpensive tools you need and give those edges some love.

Give Your Kitchen An Easy Makeover

They say the kitchen sells the house. If your kitchen is in need of an update, the cabinets are the best—and least expensive—place to start. Replace the doorknobs, slap on a fresh coat of paint, and voila! Your kitchen can go from drab to fab overnight.

Moving doesn’t have to be a stressful, expensive, time-consuming process. Grab a rag, keep the wine close by, throw on your favorite jam, and you’ll have a fresh, new space before you know it!  These are some quick tips I’ve learned to make my experiences for my clients better with Burgan Real Estate and hopefully, they will make your life better too!

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