There can be a big difference between listing your home for sale and actually selling it. All too often, homeowners make the often emotional decision to sell up and move to pastures new, only to slowly discover there isn’t as much interest in their property as they thought there would be.
Ultimately, homes only sell when there is someone willing to buy them. And they usually only get their full asking price when there are multiple parties making bids.
You can’t force homebuyers to take an interest in your property, but you can certainly increase the chances. In this post, we’ll run through a few key tips for getting your home ready to hit the market, which should help it to sell more quickly — and for a higher price — once it’s finally listed.
Depersonalize The Space
As awesome as you may be, potential home buyers don’t want to see how you live in the property. They want to imagine what their life would look like once they’re there. It’s difficult for home buyers to imagine that reality when the home is overly personalized with photographs and items that are super specific to the homeowner’s interests. Removing them is pretty straightforward and can also help you get a head start on the packing process. Ultimately, the goal is to make the space blank and easy to visualize living in it. When in doubt, think: would I see this if I walked into an Airbnb property? If not, then put it to one side.
Declutter With Gusto
There are a lot of advantages to decluttering at all times, but especially when preparing a home for sale. Home buyers want to see that the home has sufficient space and storage, and that’s less likely to happen if the property is overly cluttered with your items.
Stuffing your belongings into closets isn’t sufficient, since buyers will at some point open them up before they reach the bidding stage. As such, it’s best to have a thorough clearout. Go through every room, and set aside every item that you no longer need or want. You can sell or donate the items that are in good condition, and rent a dumpster to get rid of the junk items. If you’ve been living in your home for more than a few years, you might be surprised at how quickly you can fill up a ten-yard dumpster.
Take Care Of Minor Maintenance Tasks
It’s easy for homeowners to overlook small maintenance tasks that don’t have too much of an impact on their lifestyle at home. However, there are things that potential buyers notice. While one minor issue is unlikely to draw too much attention, multiple issues can be a sign that the home hasn’t been well-cared for — and that can make potential buyers wonder what other, out-of-sight issues the property may have. Taking a walk through your property and keeping your eye out for any imperfections can alert you to the DIY jobs to undertake before listing the home for sale.
Leave a Reply