5 Ways to Increase Consumer Interest In Your Home

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.