Growing into a home is a true joy, creating lasting memories in a space does wonders for the soul but often causes wear and tear on our homes. Homes love it. Living in a home with gusto, growing and molding families’ generation after generation, is the life blood of all homes. However, there may come a day when you realize the home you’ve blessed, and been blessed in, has no more room for growth. Moving up, on or down is part of every homeowner’s journey. After the years you’ve spent in a home, it can be hard to leave it, scary even. Becoming sure you will get top dollar for your home, helps moving on seem reasonable and attainable. Give your home some much needed attention and a few small facelifts to ensure you sell for top dollar. Follow these dozen tips to help ease the fear of leaving behind a home you’ve loved so well and guarantee you can move onto somewhere you can once again fall in love with.
1: Invite a Realtor over. Getting a comparative market analysis for your home is a free perk of using a Realtor to list your home. Any Realtor is capable of coming into your home and knowing the market value, but the key is to hire a Realtor who informs you of the value of your home, gives you tips to improve the value and shows you homes on the market like yours. Take your Realtor’s advice when it comes to little updates like getting good carpet stretched, painting that hot pink bedroom and de-cluttering that one junk closet. Your agent receives constant feedback from buyers about what they like and want from a home so their advice is based on a large variety of buyers! A lived in home is a loved home but a quick clean up can do wonders for a space and give home buyers a better understanding of what the home has to offer.
2: Paint, paint and paint some more! Nothing updates a space, big or small, in a more efficient way than a fresh coat of paint. We encourage that you paint the space a neutral pallet and keeping it light in tone. Light and neutral colors make a space feel larger and brighter. Grey, beige and white all lighten a space making it feel both homey and spacious.
3: Remodel dated areas. The 70’s was a rough time for design. Architecturally it was phenomenal but, aesthetically, it was a little much. This goes without saying but popcorn ceilings and shag carpet aren’t the only things in older homes that need to go but they are definitely two of the most prominent design elements that date a home. Don’t get me wrong, I am well aware that there are people today who still love some shag carpet and popcorn ceilings but the general public tends to grimace. Throw out the orange shag and install some new, neutral carpet in bedrooms. The space you renovate will be fresh and revived for the next owner. Therefore, boosting your return on your home.
4: Small bathroom and kitchen updates go the furthest. Even just putting in a new vanity, hanging a new mirror, painting the walls and updating the fixtures goes a long way towards breathing new life into a tired space. Kitchens are similar. Experts agree that kitchens yield at least 80 percent return of every dollar spent. Opening up a closed off kitchen to the living area, installing new counter-tops and updating your cabinets will generate the highest return. However, even a few updates to the kitchen will help you sell your home at top dollar.
5: Get your home clean, sparkling clean! A clean home is the most efficient way to sell your home. If you’re too busy to clean every inch of your home, hiring a cleaning service just before you list and maintaining the home will help you get your home sold faster. When a space is clean, it is easier for a home buyer to see themselves in the home.
6: Organize like you’ve never organized before. Storing large items you very infrequently use at a storage unit until you move to your next home or packing as much as you can before you move out will not only make it easier to move out but also keep your home uncluttered during the showing process. Copious amounts of stuff in a space whether it’s a closet, pantry or storage room, make is hard for potential buyers to realize just how much storage space there is in the home. Leaving things a little more open means your storage space looks well organized and available.
7: Choose a style. Staging your own home is a simple task as long as you know less is more. Choosing a style for your home that best represents the space and is aesthetically pleasing will ensure home buyers will be impressed. Your home will be photographed when it is listed and it is important the decorations you choose are easy to keep clean as showings could be happening on a daily basis. Cluttering your space with lots of decorations can overwhelm the space and make it look small. Just remember when you’re staging your home, you are trying to show prospective buyers what it would be like to call your house “home.” Do your home justice by making its best features stand out. Whether it is drawing attention to the fireplace with a vase with fresh flowers and antique books or the kitchen island by a fruit basket or cake stand on the counter.
8: Curb appeal is the key to the first impression your home portrays. Keeping your lawn mown, shrubs trimmed and any flowerbeds weed free, is sure to make a great first impression. Most home buyers fall in love with a home before they even open the front door. Having a welcoming front porch is always a plus. A cute welcome mat and a nice potted plant is enough to welcome in potential buyers and make a great first impression.
9: Refresh exterior paint. Chipped or faded paint sends a message to home buyers that your home hasn’t been well maintained and there could be any number of problems ahead. Painting your home isn’t too expensive and depending on the loan may be necessary to close anyways. It is better to get it done ahead of time and keep buyers minds open before they event come in the front door.
10: Go green! Energy efficient lighting and new fixtures can not only brighten up a dated home but lower electricity costs. While home buyers are aware they are taking on a mortgage and utility bills, anything that helps them to keep bills down is an added bonus.
11: Love on your home one last time! Saying goodbye to a home you’ve loved and heading on to the next chapter of your life can be a little bittersweet, so enjoy the time you have left with your home. Your Realtor will make the selling process smooth and if you choose to do any of these things you are speeding the process along. Don’t let your hopes get dashed if it doesn’t sell right away, the perfect people are coming along soon to love on and grow in your home just as you did!
Remember, this list isn’t something that you have to do in order to sell your home. If this seems overwhelming, just choose a couple things to spruce up the space and keep it looking clean!