Selling your home can be stressful as well as exciting. You want your home to sell quickly and for the maximum amount the market will bear. The best way achieve this is to make sure your home is clean and updated. Where should you spend your time and money?
It might not be realistic to renovate your entire home, but with a few important upgrades you will be able to get a much higher price for your property. The sellers market is extremely competitive and you need to be sure your property stands out from the crowd. Here are three important projects to focus on before selling your home.
Kitchen
The kitchen is the most important part of the home. The saying goes that people talk business in the living room, but friends hang out in the kitchen. It’s also where most families spend time together.
A nice kitchen really ads a WOW factor to a property. Updating the kitchen in your home is always a great investment. It can be relatively inexpensive and make a fantastic first impression on potential buyers.
Buyers like to see clean and new appliances. This should be the focus of your kitchen update. Quality, modern, name brand, stainless appliances will easily pay for themselves by getting you a higher sales price.
Add in quality cabinets and a nice counter top and you are sure to get compliments from potential buyers viewing your property.
Many home buyers are intimidated about taking on large renovation projects. They would prefer to buy a home that is “move in ready.” These buyers are willing to pay top dollar to have a home all ready to go. Just move in their furniture and they’re done!
Also, many potential buyers lack imagination for renovation ideas. They can imagine adding their own furniture or paint colors but it’s difficult for them to picture what a new kitchen would do to the home. It’s best you do this job for them and adjust your listing price accordingly. The kitchen is definitely your best investment when selling your home.
Tip:
Bake a pie when having an open house or showing your property to potential buyers. An apple pie will make your kitchen smell delicious and everyone will want a piece!
Be sure to renovate your kitchen in a way that is appropriate for your properties listing price. For example, putting marble floors and granite counter tops in a lower priced property would be a bad investment. You will most likely lose money with this project.
It’s wise to consult with an experienced realtor in your area to get a comparative market analysis. This will give you an idea of what your home will sell for. Then you can budget for your renovation projects based on the potential sales price.
Paint
Giving your home a fresh coat of paint is an easy and cost effective project that will give buyers a great first impression. Many people choose to do this project themselves to save money. Even hiring professionals can be a great value as they can usually get the work done quickly and with great quality.
Be sure to choose a fresh neutral color such as light beige. Your kids might love the neon green paint in their rooms but strong colors can turn buyers off. A neutral color is easy on the eyes and simple to paint over if the new owners decide to change it after the sale.
Paint the doors and moldings a slightly lighter color then the walls. “It’s a subtle shift in color but it really brings your eye to the detail.” Says Sheri Thompson, director of color marketing and design for Sherwin-Williams.
The goal here is to appeal to as many buyers as possible. Clean and simple is the look to go for.
Years of wear and tear can leave your walls with scratches and scuff marks. Many homes still have wallpaper which is a dated look these days. Removing all wallpaper and painting the interior of your home will give the feeling of a fresh modern property.
Tip:
Pay special attention to the interior lighting of your home. Dark rooms can feel depressing and uncomfortable. Adding proper lighting is a simple and effective way to make your home feel more warm and inviting. Interior designer Melanie Freundlich shares some excellent tips for using interior lighting in your home.
- The secret to a beautifully lit living room is variety. Consider using a range of lighting in varied heights and locations.
- Bring more light to certain spots, like a great vignette or favorite objects.
- Keep different parts of a room at different brightness levels to prevent “lighting fatigue,” that feeling you get in a bright, shadow-less conference room.
- You don’t need lights in the middle of the kitchen. Instead, make use of directed lights on counter tops and kitchen islands.
- In the bathroom, a perfect light scheme includes lights above and on both sides of the mirror to help fill in shadows. (I guess lighting fatigue isn’t as important as good hair in this room.)
- Don’t forget to light vertical surfaces, like art or even the wall itself.
- The cheapest, quickest fix for great lighting at home? Changing all of your switches to dimmers.
Landscaping
Doing all of these interior projects is useless if potential buyers never make it inside of your property. Curb appeal is also extremely important when listing your home for sale. When potential buyers drive up to your property they should see a clean and neat exterior.
“Buyers are often sold on a home before they take a step inside, so it pays to make your property appealing from the outside.” says financial planner Tony Rigby.
If you have a home, be sure the lawn is mowed and the leaves are raked. Also, trim any hedges and pick up any debris in your yard. Sweep the walk ways and hide any kids toys that are laying around.
There is no limit to the amount of money you can spend on landscaping. What’s most important is that you cover the basic maintenance. Make sure everything is in good repair. No hanging wires or cracked windows visible on the exterior.
Add a nice bright exterior light so that potential buyers can see when viewing the property after dark.
Potential buyers will make judgments about a home before going inside. If the outside is in disrepair, they will assume the interior is in bad shape as well. Some will leave without even going inside!
Tip:
Have your home professionally pressure washed. You can even rent your own pressure washer if you are feeling ambitious. After several years the exterior of your home can grown mold and start to look dirty. Winter environments are especially rough on a homes exterior. Having the exterior scrubbed and washed is a quick way to make it stand out from the other houses in the neighborhood.
These three simple home projects are sure to make your property stand out from the others in your market. Spending the time and money in these few key areas will certainly pay off by getting you fast offers at a great price.
*This article is syndicated and licensed from Realtor.GetWrittn.com.