Home sellers planning to put their homes on the market often ask how to prepare. What are some fast and easy fix ups to help home sellers get the best price when they sell their homes?
Pretty homes that are priced realistically always sell fast..
Buyers want move-in ready
That does not mean ‘perfection’
Typically that means, no ‘deferred’ maintenance and fresh flooring, etc.
Start with Curb appeal because buyers spend much of their time on line looking at the outside. Things like:
Freshening much beds
Fix mailbox
Fix broken door bells
Paint front doors
Trim bushes and trees if overgrown
The next room is the Living Room
Make it great, no tired old carpet, no dramatic paint
Bronco Orange living room story
Focus on the fireplace if you have one
Declutter
Clean
The next room is the Kitchen
No broken countertops
Update kitchen faucet
Make sure appliance colors match
Take all off counters except coffee pot
Remove throw rugs and dish towels for pictures
The next most popular room is the Master Bathroom
You will always get your investment out of carpet, paint, kitchens and baths
Everything off the counters
Clean, clean, clean
Make sure flooring is in good shape
Fresh vinyl flooring is not that costly. Many buyers turn their noses up at carpet on bathroom floors…the builders used to do it to save $.
But fresh flooring, much of which looks like tile can be less than $500
We are talking about 27 Tips to Get the Best Price When You Sell Your Home. What are some other things can home sellers do to prepare their homes for sale?
Decks: Re-stain the deck
Appraisers for VA and FHA will call out peeling paint on the outside
Replace torn screens (you can go to Lowes or Home Depot and get that done for a very low price)
Broken Flooring, pet stains, odors and old, worn carpet are deal breakers for buyers…
Unless you have priced the home way under market value then it will be forgiven
I had a client that had 12 cats. They did not think the newer carpet needed to be cleaned, well many people become ‘nose blind’ to the odors in the home. Those things must be addressed.
Have a great plan for making your home available to be short on a relatively short notice that make the showing experience the best for the buyer (it depends on most but as long as the other agents know the parameters they will work around it)
Ex: sellers that have dogs that bark in crates during showings, just scheduled the showings when you can take the dogs.
Pricing Appropriately is hugely important to attract the most buyers to want to buy your home
I recently had a seller that was listing with another agent for 4 months whom never updated the outside pictures after the yards turned green, was overpriced and it sat on the market with only 4 showings in 4 months.
We listed the home and received 4 showings in 4 days
Sold for cash in 6 days
I think home sellers want solutions to sell their homes not just for top dollar but in a reasonable period of time.
