Making Your House Ready to Sell

Do you know the best thing about preparing your house for sale? It can be fun while also filling your bank account with the top dollar, if you do it right.  In this article, we’ll cover some simple ideas that can add dividends to your bottom line, come sales time.

Home is the Sweetest Place on Earth

…and buyers and sellers both know that. Actually, buyers are a little more aware of this subject as they are continuously looking for a perfect home to live in.  Although a perfect home can have a different meaning based one’s perspective, according to buyer’s point of view, a perfect home is an almost new home, well equipped with every feature and upgrade the greater market has to offer, and of course, the price should be appropriate for the market.

A seller’s perspective is fairly simple.

To the seller his/her house is a perfect house, even with the broken windows, damaged wood and faded paint; sellers believe that it is a home-sweet-home and buyers will fall in love with it at first sight with little to no work required.  Not so fast, back up.

If things aren’t done right and set up correctly, some homes can take longer to sell than expected, often leaving owners’ wondering why their damaged-wood-window-broken-faded-paint “perfect” house is not attracting any buyers.  So let’s sell the house.

Fresh Paint Will Make your House Young Again

Pretty basic, right?  But not everyone completely understands the importance and value of presentation. A freshly painted house is half sold. A fresh coat of paint gives the single largest return on investment of any home improvement, making it look new again, often fulfilling at least one important requirement of the buyer.  So give your home a new paint job and you may be amazed to see an increase in the visitors coming in to look.  50% of what sells a home is “presentation” and the other 50% is a combination of location and price.

Don’t Forget To Spruce Up the Entrance

If you’ve done your job well and given the home great “curb appeal”, and if it’s priced and advertised properly, it will attract buyers.  Now, buyers should want to get in and view the house from the inside.  Curb appeal (the distance from the street to the front door) and entry-ways are one of the most important areas to pay attention to.

Any small flaw like a dead bush, cobwebs, an unkempt entryway, or a faded old door will be immediately noticed by the buyer.  Negatives like this can cause a buyer to make up their mind about not buying the house even before entering it. Carefully look for all the small flaws and fix them, starting from the street. Making the right improvements will really make a difference.

Keep it Tidy

Once you put your home on the market, and particularly if you’re still living there, be extra careful.  A messy house with the kid’s or the dog’s toys everywhere will not leave a good impression on the buyer.  Vacuum the house and look for any dirt or dust that could be noticed by the buyer.  Be ready to show the home on a moment’s notice, otherwise, if you’re too stringent on showings, you may miss an important showing and lose a potential buyer.

Make the House Look Spacious

Nobody wants to suffocate in a compact place. Interiors of even small houses can be designed to look more open and spacious. Use your creativity and the furniture arrangements to make your house feel and look roomy.  If all else fails, remove as much of your personal property as possible just so the buyer can see more of the home and less of your stuff.

Damage Repair

Even a small flaw can be a deal breaker, so fix things before your buyer notices and decides to buy the house down the street. This includes a broken window, damaged floor, or the hand-drawn artwork on the wall from your child, as a personal bedroom canvas.

Lightning Plays a Crucial Role

Poor lightning makes a house looks unattractive.  Make sure there is sufficient lighting in the room.  Place your lights strategically to make your home look more cozy and homey.  A well lit home will feel more comfortable than one that isn’t, and can go a long way to bringing in the right buyer.

Get Creative

Houses with unique features can be sold with ease… sometimes, depending on the feature.  If it’s modern and trendy, maybe it’ll help, but if it’s outdated from the 80’s, it might be a hindrance.  There are thousands of DIY books that can teach you to make small, fun improvements to your house.  Whether it’s building a small pond in the yard, or a corner of your lawn decorated with flowers, you may not know what a buyer falls in love with and buys your house for it.

If you Can’t Be Absent, Be Warm

Most Realtors will appreciate if you actually leave the house during any and all showings, but if you just can’t bring yourself to take a walk around the block, your behavior towards a buyer can certainly make or break the deal.  Follow the advice of your Realtor and do what you can to make the buyer feel at home.  Make use of good scents and good food to show your hospitality.  Avoid talking to the buyers about anything unless they ask, but regardless, make them feel welcome. Showing the buyers that you care will definitely get them to think you aren’t just after their money and that you can be trusted.

So to all homeowners out there, if you implement these tips, you can get your home ready to sell quickly and easily.  Find the middle ground on price so a buyer feels like they’re getting a good deal but you still make your profit too.  A freshly painted, well priced, new looking house with great curb appeal and no apparent damage and can sell like a hot cake.  Just saying!

Management 1 Tri-Cities Realty & Property Management is highly experienced in the art and science of listing and selling homes.  If you have any questions about preparing your home for sale (or for rent) in the Tri-Cities area contact us today with any questions.  We look forward to making your next home buying and/or selling experience in Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco, WA to be the best it can possibly be.