Getting Ready to Sell Your Home Without Renovating |
If you're getting ready to sell your home but can't afford any major renovations, lets review a list of updates you can do that won't cost a fortune.
1. Declutter
When getting ready to sell, the first step is to declutter your entire home. Include the basement, sheds, and garage as well. Go through all cupboards and closets and get rid of or store items you don't/won't need during the selling process. Remove unnecessary knick-knacks. Keep coffee and end tables sparingly decorated with lamps, candles and plants.
About the garage: Empty out the clutter so prospective buyers can easily determine whether their car(s) will fit inside.
2. Paint Rooms
Painting can be time consuming, but it's an affordable first step to give your home a face lift before selling. Keeping the color scheme neutral will attract a broader range of potential buyers. Think in terms of grey, tan, beige, or white. Keep the baseboards and doors a nice crisp white. Avoid multi-colored baseboards! White baseboards provide a lovely border against the wall, rug/floor. Add pops of color with accessories only. Colorful pillows and throw blankets can bring interest to a space.
3. Create a Feature Wall(s)
A feature wall is an affordable and faster way to give your home something extra. As an example, in the master bedroom, consider a focal wall behind the bed. Ideas for feature walls include faux brick, real brick, vinyl designs, wainscoting, and murals. Anything 'peel and stick' is the easiest.
4. Remove Personal Photos
Some sellers resist doing this. The general thought by those who aren't keen on removing their personal photos is that they feel displaying photos promote the family aspect of their home. However, that's not the way to think about this.
When potential buyers walk into a home, they're not thinking about your family, they're thinking about how their own family will fit with the property.
From the moment a buyer steps onto a prospective property they're analyzing the 'feel' for their own family. Emotion guides that process and a multiple combination of the smallest things move buyers closer to a decision. Looking at photos of your family is a distraction to the natural flow of this thought process. Why add a distraction? Let the buyers achieve an emotional connection to your home without disruption.
Your photos represents 'your' house, no photos allow the buyer to imagine their family in this new home.
5. Clean, Clean and Clean
Let's go through a quick cleaning list:
- Declutter kitchen counters, shine kitchen sinks, wipe the cupboards and clean appliances
- Clean the grout on all tiles (floors, backsplash, bathtubs)
- Scrub bathrooms spotless!
- Steam clean all carpets and wash floors
- Vacuum your entire home
- Wash all the bedding, fluff pillows, and make a pretty bed (it's the focal point!)
- Steam clean couches and chairs
- Touch up any wall scuff marks with paint where applicable
- Ensure all light bulbs work
- Wash all the windows and screens
- Double check that all closets and cupboards are organized. Buyers will open them!
- Rid your house of unsavory pet and cooking odors - Try essential oils
- Give your pet area and/or litterbox a thorough disinfecting - Think good smells
- Trim overgrown trees, weed the garden and present a lovely entry way by ensuring there's a clear path to the front door.
6. Do You Have Pets?
If you have pets, and are able to, have your fur babies stay with friends or family during the selling process. If you can't arrange that, ensure your pets are secured or removed from the house before a buyer views your home.
7. Staging Your Home
Not everyone can afford a professional stager. However, you may reconsider staging when you read about the return on that investment! On average having your home professionally staged costs between .5 to 1 percent of a homes value. But get this: According to the National Association of Realtors for every $100 invested in staging, the potential return is $400!
If you can't afford a professional stager, complete these fundamentals:
- Minimize furniture in smaller rooms
- Position furniture so that people can walk through a room naturally without having to walk around pieces to get to doorways
- Use simple window coverings, leave them open for viewings
- Bring energy to a room by adding plants where applicable
- Display baskets of fresh fruit and/or herbs in the kitchen
- Turn on lamps and lights before viewings
- Ensure the laundry is completed and your mudroom or front closet is organized
- Clear the entry way of coats, shoes and boots
- Put a lovely seasonal wreath on the front door
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