Your home is probably one of the single biggest assets you own, and, to make sure that you get the best price possible, you will want to prepare your home ready for listing and selling. Property buyers and homebuyers are looking at lots of listings daily, so you have to make sure that your home stands out from the rest. So, what should you start focusing on, and what should you be working on to ensure that you get a timely and smooth sale?
Focus on the Curb Appeal
First impressions count, and often a viewing is not arranged on a house that looks less than appealing, so to ensure you get potential buyers through the door, you must focus on curb appeal. Freshly painted houses, neat and tidy gardens, and an inviting doorway to a house will all make your house look and feel loved. Spending time sprucing up the front of your house is just as important as anything else, so make sure your pathways and driveways are clear and free from obstructions, ensure that dead leaves and plants are removed from gardens, porches, and window boxes, and make sure that all paintwork is clean and fresh.
Check Out Neighboring Houses
Looking at what neighboring properties have sold for and when they sold. Sold figures will help give you an indication as to what price you should be heading towards. When you establish a price for sale pretty early on, you can then establish how much you have to play with or spend on fixing up your house and getting it ready to sell. Neighboring houses can also give your ideas for interior and exterior décor and staging, and they can guide you on figures, ensuring that your pricing is competitive to help you get a quick sale.
Improve and Fix Key Areas
When you look at your house, are there areas that need improvement? Are there ones that you know need fixing or repairing, perhaps even the jobs you have been putting off. Well, if you know there are issues, you need to get them fixed as soon as possible! Potential buyers will spot key areas that need fixing, and if they don’t, the agent will, and they may go as far as to suggest the house goes on for a lower price. Getting key areas such as the roof shingles changed or replaced by a roofing company, or getting windows repaired and repainted by a local contractor could be the difference between an OK price and a fantastic price. Ultimately these key areas could mean a sale or no sale, so don’t delay getting problem areas fixed sooner rather than later.
Declutter and Deep Clean Internally and Externally
Photos can say a lot, and sometimes a homebuyer will never come and look at a listing because the photos have put them off. As photos are just as important as descriptions, it is essential that your photos show a home that is loved and enjoyed, but that is clean, tidy, and orderly at the same time. Nobody wants to view a home that looks like it has dozens of kids running around all the time. Deep cleaning spaces and decluttering to make rooms simpler and cleaner will ensure that photos look attractive and that they capture attention and interest.
