Once you’ve decided to sell your home, there’s a lot of work that can be done before putting your home up for sale. Once your home is on the market, you’ll start fielding offers for your property, all while you may be deciding where you want to live once your home has been sold.
Preparing your home to sell is one of the most important steps in the process. Open house showings may be scheduled shortly after your home goes on the market, so it’s important to make a good first impression for potential buyers. You should give them every reason to consider making an offer on your property.
Selling your home in North Carolina may be stressful, but it definitely can be done. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re getting your home ready for sale:
1. It’s a good time to tackle those repairs or renovations that you may have put on hold.
If you’ve had a few renovations in mind or you’ve postponed a few necessary repairs, now is the time to face those obstacles. Some remodeling projects can actually improve your home’s value. You may be able to raise your sale price accordingly. This doesn’t go for all repairs, so you’ll want to consult a real estate agent before spending a lot of time or money.
You can do all of the work yourself, or you can hire professionals to get the job done for you. If the inspector recommends that certain repairs or upgrades be made during the home inspection, often times you can opt to take care of those items, have the seller pay for them or you can split the costs evenly.
2. Think about what home buyers want.
You’ve probably been thinking about your home from a seller’s mindset. However, you need to take a little time to put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. Think about what appeals to home buyers. Why should they make an offer on your home instead of another property?
Homebuyers typically want to keep things simple. Most of them don’t really want a fixer-upper, especially if they don’t have the time or resources to tackle such challenges. Buyers look at things like square footage, land acreage and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms in a home.
They also add amenities such as ample storage space, energy efficiency, inviting exteriors and home office space to their wish lists. If you can appeal to as many of potential buyers’ wants as possible, you’re one step closer to selling your home.
3. What’s your return on investment?
Before you decide to renovate or remodel, calculate your return on investment. Estimate the costs of your current project as well as the money spent on other projects and upgrades since you’ve owned the home. If you’re spending more than what’s reasonable, you might be better off delaying the project until it’s more affordable or letting the home buyer make their own changes.
It can be very exciting to transform your home into something different. Just don’t overdo things. Don’t feel like you constantly have to buy the latest appliances or keep making changes to your home on a regular basis to keep up with your neighbors or others in your circle of influence. It’s okay to perform repairs and upgrade things when necessary, but be realistic.
4. Keep buyers’ interest in your home.
Your home should stand out in the minds of potential buyers. It should warm and welcoming. You should clean your home thoroughly inside and out before your first open house showing.
Remove clutter and sell or donate any unused or unwanted items. Make sure to keep family photos or other personal possessions out of sight during these showings.
Mow your lawn and trim any hedges or bushes that you may have. It might be a good time to add a coat of paint or trim to walls, doors, window frames or other items in highly trafficked areas.
Check door handles, faucets, light switches and light bulbs to ensure that they are in good working condition. Repair or replace them as needed. Vacuum and dust inside your home and move furniture if necessary so that visitors can safely navigate across different rooms.
Take a few minutes to inspect your driveway and sidewalk. Patch any cracks as soon as possible. You may also want to add some bright, colorful flowers in your garden or living room. A touch of color can really brighten up your home, and leave a positive lasting impression in buyers’ minds.
5. Don’t forget about odors.
This is an important consideration that is all too often forgotten. Some people who will be visiting your home may have allergies to pet dander and other items. Others may have an extremely sensitive sense of smell.
If you currently have pets, you may want to board them at a kennel or have them stay with a friend, family member or neighbor for a few days while your open house showings are being held.
Clean your rugs and floors and shampoo carpets carefully. When using cleaning products, try to avoid items that are toxic or can leave a harsh residue or strong chemical smells behind. Whatever you can do to reduce a person’s chances of experiencing an allergic reaction or other potentially serious health issues while visiting your home, the better.
It may take a day or two to properly clean your home from top to bottom. You may even wind up holding a garage sale beforehand if you have enough items that you don’t want to take with you at your new location. It’s a good way to reduce clutter and it means you’ll have less to pack!
Real estate is usually very competitive. Home buyers have a lot of options. When there’s a large amount of properties on the market in a certain area, it can be rather difficult to be noticed at times.
That’s why preparing your home to sell is essential. It gives potential buyers positive reasons to seek you out. Your house should be comfortable and inviting, It should be a place that a person, couple or family would be glad to call home. They can start the next chapter of their lives while you open the door for the next phase of your life.
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Give Pete Elder a call today at 919-357-0921 to learn more about local areas, discuss selling a house, or tour available homes for sale.
