How to Prepare Your Home for Sale

Would you like to know how to prepare your home for sale? Do you know how to go about it? Read on to learn what you need to know on the subject.

It's finally time to start preparing your home for sale. You know that it's a seller's market right now and you're ready to take advantage of it and move somewhere new. Are you ready for the challenge?

It's not always as easy as it looks to sell a house. You need to get your home in good condition so potential buyers can see how great it is, but how can you do that without breaking the bank?

Read on to learn all about how to prepare your home for sale.

Only Make Useful Renovations

If you're trying to get the most out of your home sale, you might be tempted to do a full-scale renovation. That's how you'll get more money, right?

This isn't necessarily true. Right now, the housing market is hotter than ever. Doing too many renovations will just prolong the time before you put your house on the market officially.

Because many people are buying homes sight-unseen, it also just might not be helpful to renovate beforehand. You will still get a good price for your home as long as you have a good realtor. 

That said, if you want to make a few renovations, stick to ones that potential buyers actually want to see. Upgrade your appliances and consider upgrading your plumbing. These are things that new buyers don't want to do on their own. 

Fix Up Your Walls

Unless your walls are in serious disrepair, there's no need to repaint or re-wallpaper them altogether. While this may make the home look "nicer," remember that your potential buyers likely want to paint the home as they see fit.

What you should do, however, is freshen up the paint or wallpaper to make it look neat. Try to hide any scrapes or chips.

Refresh Your Cabinets

This is a small thing that can make a huge difference. Make your kitchen look nicer by refreshing your cabinets if you have the time to do so. It's a quick and easy DIY project.

You can re-paint the cabinets entirely, but this isn't necessary. Like the walls, you can also just make sure that there are no chips in the pre-existing paint. If the kitchen would look better with a fresh coat of paint on the cabinets, this is a relatively quick project.

Then, replace the knobs and handles on your cabinets and drawers if they're looking outdated. You can take a kitchen from "drab" to "stylish" for a few dollars at your local home and garden store. 

Declutter and Clean Everything

You're going to have to make your home as clean as possible if you want buyers to come to look at it. You wouldn't want to visit an open house that was a mess, right?

Make sure that you remove any messes or clutter lurking around the home. This is a good time to rent a storage unit so you have somewhere for those things to go. A storage unit will also make the actual moving process easier. 

When you're done decluttering, you need to do a full deep clean. It's in your best interest to hire a professional cleaner if you have the means to do so. They'll make sure that the home is spotless for your potential buyers and they'll free up your time so you can focus on other aspects of the house sale process. 

Remove Personal Items

When you're showing your house, it's a good idea to get rid of anything that's too personal in plain sight. This doesn't mean that your home has to be devoid of character, but you want the buyers to be able to picture themselves in the home. That's difficult if the home has all of your family photos inside!

Tuck them away in less obvious places or put them into a storage unit to keep them safe until you're ready to move. 

Consider Renting Furniture

Renting furniture isn't always essential, but it can be helpful, especially if your furniture is particularly worn out or outdated. Sure, it still fits your personal style, but it might not suit the styles of the people who are visiting.

The furniture isn't going with the house, but again, people want to be able to see themselves in the home. Picking a more neutral or put-together style can help with that.

Opt for furniture that makes your home look larger and more comfortable. A minimalist look is a good choice for most homes. 

Stage the Home for Potential Buyers

When you rent furniture (or stage the home in general), keep your potential buyers in mind. Based on your home and the neighborhood that it's in, who's likely to be buying your home?

For example, if you have a small one-bedroom bungalow, you'd probably be staging the home for a single adult or a couple without young children. If you have a larger home with a yard, you may want to stage it for a growing family (even if it's possible that the home will be for adults only).

Adding a nursery or a home office can be effective even if you don't use those things for yourself. If you have the means to do so, it's something to keep in mind. 

Work on Your Curb Appeal 

Curb appeal is everything when you're trying to prepare your home for sale. Your home's exterior is the first thing that potential buyers will see when they visit. Make it count!

Make sure that your yard looks tidy. If there are any cracks in the driveway, this is a good time to get them repaired if it's within your budget. 

Consider putting out a few lawn decorations and flowers for some added style. Make sure that you power wash your home to get rid of any grime that may have accumulated over the years.

That's How to Prepare Your Home for Sale

Learning how to prepare your home for sale isn't easy! The biggest takeaway is that you need to focus on your potential buyers. If you were a buyer, what would you want to see? 

Are you getting ready to put your house on the market? We want to help! Contact our agents today.