Planning to put your home on the market? Before that “for sale” sign hits your front yard, real estate experts always recommend that sellers should make some quick improvements to achieve the best offer possible. Here are three simple ways to make sure that your home makes an excellent first impression on all potential buyers who come through your door.
1. Boost Curb Appeal
Curb appeal provides prospective buyers with that “love at first sight” moment that gets them to pull out the checkbook and make an offer. Before listing your house, and before taking those all-important listing photographs, make sure that your house has great curb appeal by bringing the landscaping up to par. Take the time to get your grass in great shape by mowing and trimming the edges as well as laying down an organic lawn fertilizer and weed control treatment to ensure healthy growth. You’ll soon have a healthier lawn that forms the foundation for great curb appeal.
There are other exterior updates that also give homebuyers a warm welcome as they arrive at your property. Give your front door a quick makeover with a new coat of paint or stain, and don’t be afraid to go bold with color since you want your house to get noticed. Also consider installing new porch lighting – you don’t want guests to fumble around in the dark if they’re coming for a showing at night. New light fixtures like wall sconces next to the door, spotlights in the yard and maybe even solar-powered lanterns along paths and walkways make your property much more inviting.
2. Declutter the Interior
If you’ve enticed buyers to stop by and take a look at what your home has to offer, ensure that they get a great feeling as soon as they enter the door by decluttering every room of the house. Clutter distracts prospective buyers from seeing the big picture and the major features of your house, and it takes many forms including stacks of papers, piles of pet toys, loads of bathroom products and much more. Purge the items that you don’t immediately need during the selling process and organize whatever’s left over. An expert tip is to declutter areas like the garage, attic, basement and all closets so that buyers get the impression that your home has plenty of space for storage.
3. Clean the Interior
Once you’ve removed excess clutter throughout the house, you need to spend some time getting all surfaces sparkling clean. It’s best to clean with baking soda, which can be used on hard surfaces like tile and countertops, but it can also freshen up soft surfaces like carpeting, too. Sprinkle it on and vacuum it up to remove odors that may be trapped in the carpet fibers. Use essential oils and introduce natural plants to your interior rooms to further purify the air and provide pleasant scents that reflect a clean environment.
It doesn’t take a huge investment of time and effort to get any property ready to make a positive impression on homebuyers. Follow the tips above to make sure that your house is poised for a successful sale.
