A lot of people ask us how to increase the value of your home. Although there are some tried and true rules, this can vary from place to place, and from market climate to market climate. A safer way to go about it is to think about your house on a basic level when you're trying to sell. Try to see what a consumer sees. Below are 5 easy and cheap steps to sprucing up your home and readying it for showings.
5. Smell. This may seem a little obvious, but make sure your
home smells fresh and clean. Getting rid of unsavory odors should be on the top
of your list if you’ve put your house on the market. Even smells that you may
be used to could be offensive to potential buyers, pet smells, the lingering
scent of last night’s curry. Make sure your house has a subtle and pleasant
smell!
4. Keep it clean. This goes along the lines of the smell
rule. No one wants to see your dirty laundry basket or rings from hard water in
the toilet. Pretend your mother-in-law is visiting each time you want to show
your house. Be very particular about the appearance of your stuff, don’t leave
things laying around, and don’t try to hide the mess in the closet—people will
want to see the closet space.
3. Fresh Paint. The inside of your house needs to be as
close to a blank canvas as possible while not appearing bland and
uninteresting. A fresh coat of a neutral paint color and some small decorative
accents can give a room that polished look without seeming too lived in.
2. Curb Appeal. Your house has to look nice from the street,
otherwise you’ll never even get potential buyers in the door. Is your paint
peeling? Are your shrubs all dead? Have a pathetic lawn? What does your mailbox
look like? Try to tackle these aesthetic problems to entice potential buyers to
take a closer look at your home.
1. Minor Repairs. We’re not talking a major overhaul here,
but make sure you don’t let a leaky faucet or broken railing deter potential
buyers. These quick and relatively inexpensive fixes can lead to more interest
and more interest means you’re more likely to sell.
