Prior to entering into an agreement to sell your house, it is in your best interest to maximize the value of your home through staging. The following inexpensive tips will help you sell your home faster and for a higher amount. If you intend to sell your house in the next 12 months, your first step should be to contact a respected real estate agent and ask them to tour your house. They can give you advice on what staging ideas you can employ to increase the value of your house. The advice you receive from the real estate agent will help you decide, which projects you want to complete before selling your house. Below is a list of the staging ideas, which will normally increase a home’s value. Although, each house and neighborhood is different, the realtor’s advice on home improvements is critical to maximizing your home’s value.
• Inviting and Appealing – Focus on the entry area of the house. Make sure it’s clean, uncluttered, and freshly painted. You may only have one chance at a first impression for potential homebuyers.
• Bathroom(s) – The number of bathrooms in a house is one of the most important factors homebuyers consider before even looking at a house. A basic update of the bathroom, such as: new paint, new hardware (toilet paper holder and towel rack), new shower curtain and towels, and new flooring will likely add considerable value.
• Paint – Depending on the condition and color of the paint inside and outside of the house, a new coat of paint may increase the appeal of your house to potential buyers. Some homebuyers cannot see potential; they may eliminate your property from consideration simply based on the condition and color of the paint in the house. Neutral colors are more acceptable to a larger audience of homebuyers.
• Minor Changes – Thoroughly inspect your house for glaring issues. These may be as minor as: electrical outlet covers, lighting fixtures, register covers, and floor coverings. Adding an alarm system should also be considered. These updates may be very minor, but may change the appearance and allure of your house to potential buyers.
• Outside Maintenance – Increasing the curb appeal of your house will attract more homebuyers. Look at the siding, gutters, and down-spouts. Address any glaring issues.
• Remove Personal Items – Make your home personal for potential buyers. Let them imagine themselves in your home. The easiest way to do this is to remove your personal photos and keepsakes. Pack up as much as you can in each room. This will make each room seem larger. If you need to, consider renting a storage unit to remove clutter from your house.
• Professional Cleaning – Just before you officially list your property, it would be in your best interest to have your house professionally and thoroughly cleaned.
• Carpeting and Flooring – Depending on the condition of the carpeting and flooring of your house, you may consider purchasing moderately priced floor coverings. Avoid spending top dollar to replace these items, if their new and of average quality they should pass the eye test for homebuyers.
• Brighten Up Each Room – Open the drapes and add higher wattage light bulbs. This will make the rooms look bigger and brighter. Thoroughly clean all fixtures including the lights and ceiling fans.
• Remove Unpleasant Smells – If you have pets, such as: dogs and cats, sometimes odors are hard to cover up. You can use pet cleaning products or baking soda to try to mask smells in your carpeting and furniture. Be careful what you cook, because some odors, such as fish may linger in the house for days.
It is helpful to potential buyers to provide information regarding restaurants, attractions, shopping, and local school. Documenting how convenient the location of your property is to what they deem as important may sway their opinion on your house. The above mentioned improvements coupled with the advice from an experienced real estate agent should help you maximize the value of your house. Increasing the appearance and value of your house will not only result in a higher sales price, but most likely a quicker sale. After you make your home improvements and list your house with an experienced real estate agent, always make sure before accepting any offer that the buyer is pre-approved. The last thing you will want to do after fixing up your house is to take it off the market for a potential buyer who may not qualify for a loan. Always ask to see a copy of their pre-approval letter to verify their ability to obtain a mortgage.