One of the most stressful things a person can go through is selling a house. This is not even an opinion- but a fact. Buyers walking in and out constantly, possibilities of deals falling through or going through, trying to find the perfect home in time, the list goes on. It’s no wonder that owners usually want to sell as fast as they can. With some homes on the market for as long as 400 days, to homes for only 7 days, there are a variety of ways to speed up the process.
Tip 1: De-clutter your home
For a lot of people this may be the hardest on the list. Buyers do not want to walk into your home and see your stock piles of clothes hidden in the closets. They will look through every inch of your home. Which makes sense. Wouldn’t you? Exactly. Getting rid of a third of your stuff is the standard. Start by going through your storage areas- closets especially and taking out or getting rid of at least half of it. Put the stuff that you want to keep in the closets back in an organized way. You may want to get a storage unit for this portion because it will allow you to keep a lot of stuff without making it apparent to buyers. Make sure to hide more personal things deeper into your closets or store it into drawers. This will also help when you move to! Getting rid of your stuff or putting it into storage will make your life easier during that hectic time.
Tip 2: Curb Appeal
First impressions are everything! This is no different when it comes to buying homes. Adding some plants, more flowers, paint some of those things you’ve been meaning to do for a few years. Flowers near the entry to the home make it feel more inviting and comfortable. Cleaning the exterior of the house may also help- power washing the siding and cleaning the windows can also spruce up your home. Potential buyers will always be looking. Not just at an open house, but they may drive by just to see the neighborhood around it and see if it looks the same in pictures. You can more than likely get a 100% return on your investment when it comes to sprucing up your curb appeal.
Tip 3: Depersonalize
Potential buyers do not want to see their house as your home, they want to see it as their home. Taking down pictures of your family, political posters or anything religious can help make it seem more like a blank canvas. If you don’t want to hire a stagier, rea
rrange the furniture to make it look less cluttered and more open and hang up some generic wall art to tie it in. This will help make the space seem larger.
Tip 4: Add more Light
Make sure your home does not look like the Adams family residence. Add more light! Optimize your current light fixtures by adding the highest wattage it can hold to make it brighter. A new coat of light paint can help too. It is well known that a lighter room helps to open it up and make the space seem larger than it is. Cleaning the windows, cutting down shrubs or trees, or pulling back the drapes can also help to let the sunshine in. Especially for showings during the day, good natural lighting can be a selling point.
Tip 5: Get rid of anything to do with your pets.
Dogs are man’s best friend, but that does not mean that they are the potential buyers best friend. Hiding the litter box, the food bowls, leashes, toys, etc. is good when setting up showings. Make sure to deep clean the home of all dog or cat hair-having things that mean a pet lives there also brings the perception that the house is not clean. Not everyone is a cat or dog lover and it is important to remember this.
Tip 6: Make some small upgrades
Fixing a few things around the house can make a world of difference. Painting the cabinets, fixing a doorknob, or getting nicer decor for the kitchen or bathroom will make the house already look better. Instead of remodeling completely, only upgrade a few things that you can afford and will see a return on. Getting new appliances may only cost you $2500 but a kitchen remodel can cost as much as $10,000. Only make upgrades on things you know will get paid back to you.
Tip 7: Be Flexible
Being available when buyers may want to view the home helps a lot. Trying to schedule showings may be difficult, but remaining able and ready to show whenever they want helps. The buyer is a customer, so being accommodating throughout the process will make them more willing to go with you and your home over someone else. Someone may find a beautiful house that they love, but if the buying process is going to be difficult because the seller is being difficult, it is enough to make them turn away. Being flexible and friendly can help sell your house just as much as any other tip on this list
There we go! Hopefully through following these tips, your home can be sold before you know it. Special thanks to Trulia and HGTV for helping us come up with some of these. If you are interested in going through Red Door of WNY to buy or sell a home, please give us a call at 768-1177. We take your dreams seriously, and we are opening doors all over WNY. No matter whom you go through, we all really hope you have luck in listing and selling you’re home.
Awesome tips for selling! My wife and I are trying to sell our house and move into the new one before my new job starts, but haven’t had much success. I think we’re going to try the lighting option to make the place seem a little brighter. Thank you for the home tips, they helped a lot!