In a time when many homes are on the market, you need an advantage that will attract buyers to your property and make it stand out. To present your house so it’s appealing to a wide range of buyers (which ultimately leads to a faster sale), consider the following tips:
Fix major problems. You’ll need to disclose all major flaws at the time your property is listed for sale, so it’s best to preemptively fix a cracked foundation or leaky roof to keep the value of your home as high as possible. “Nobody wants to buy a house that leaks when it rains,” says Jane Brown, owner of Optimum Realty & Financial Services in San Francisco. “Install a new roof if you have the money, but don’t put more into the repairs than you can recoup. In a down economy, you want to ensure you’ll make back all the money you put into fixing the house.”
Don’t forget curb appeal. Potential homebuyers may not even bother to look inside a house if it doesn’t look appealing from the outside. To increase curb appeal, step outside and evaluate your house the same way potential buyers will. Walk to the end of your driveway or stand across the street. Pretend you’re looking at your house for the first time. What’s your first impression? What are the home’s best features? What are its least appealing features? Note the most positive features and accentuate them by performing the following upgrades:
• Pressure wash dirty exterior areas, including siding, decks, porches, sidewalks and the driveway.
• Repaint chipped, peeling or faded paint on the house, doors and window frames.
• Mow the lawn, trim back large bushes and trees, edge sidewalks, remove unwanted plants and weeds from landscaped and paved areas, rake up leaves and dead grass, and plant fresh flowers in flowerbeds and window boxes.
• Clean out gutters and wash windows.
• Store unwanted or overwhelming yard ornaments.
• Add inexpensive but impactful items such as low voltage outdoor lighting, decorative light fixtures or lamps, potted plants or new landscaping elements, doorknobs and hardware.
Consider staging. If you’ve moved out of your house while it’s on the market, it can be smart to hire a staging company. These firms will fill your empty home with neutral furniture and décor, which gives potential buyers a better feel for the house’s possibilities. If you’re still living in the home, you can still use staging to your advantage. “Go through your home and do little things that make it more appealing,” advises Ms. Brown. “It can be as simple as repositioning or adding bed pillows to make a room look more comfortable and inviting. A plant or flower arrangement on the table adds a special touch. Even putting out color coordinated towels can draw in buyers.”
Here are some other staging tips to consider:
• Remove personal items such as photographs and family heirlooms. You want potential buyers to see themselves living in the home, and the presence of your personal items can complicate that.
• De-clutter your home as much as possible. Remove excess books and magazines, clear off bulletin boards and refrigerator doors, and remove bottles and jars from kitchen and bathroom shelves.
• Buyers will open cabinets and closets, so remember to organize and clean behind closed doors. Alphabetize spice jars, neatly stack dishes in cupboards, and organize linen cabinets and closets.
• Visually increase floor space and storage room by removing extra furniture items from rooms, taking out half the clothes from closets, and cleaning out pantries and storage areas.
• If you’re planning to take curtain rods, draperies, appliances, light fixtures, yard ornaments or other decorative items when you move, remove them before potential buyers visit to avoid confusion.
