Six Little Tweaks That May Help Your Home Sell Faster
In January of 2015, homes sold in the United States spent an average of 103 days on the market. If you're planning a move and want to sell your home so you can purchase a new one, 103 days is a long time to wait. Luckily, there are many things you can do to ensure your home sells as quickly as possible. In addition to working with an experienced realtor, you can also focus on making sure your home makes a great first impression.
When selling a home, first impressions are everything. If a potential buyer sees something he or she loves immediately upon walking in the door (or even before), that person will see the whole rest of the home in a more positive light. The opposite is also true. If a buyer walks in the door and immediately sees something he or she hates, that person will move on to the next house pretty quickly, even if the rest of your home is exactly what they've been looking for. While you cannot account for everyone's taste, you can make a few little tweaks to improve your home's first impression.
Tweak #1: Perfect your garden beds.
Even a couple of weeds can make your garden beds look ill-maintained and scrappy. Make sure your gardens are well mulched and completely weed-free before you start showing your home. Hire a landscaping company to do this if you don't have the time. The cost is well worth the money you'll likely save by selling your home sooner.
Tweak #2: Decorate your entryway.
Even if the home is being shown empty, you can add a few green plants or a piece of artwork to the entryway to lure customers in. Potted plants work especially well, since people tend to find greenery relaxing and inviting.
Tweak #3: Take care of any chipping or peeling paint.
You might assume a few paint chips are not a big deal since new homeowners typically paint as soon as they move in anyways. However, chipping paint makes a whole room feel less kept-up, and it makes a terrible first impression. Make sure you scrape and paint over chipped areas. If you don't have any of the same color paint on hand, you can take a chip of the paint to a paint store, where they can use color matching technology to mix you up a pail of the exact same color.
Tweak #4: Have your carpet shampooed.
You might not think your carpet looks dirty, but once you have it shampooed, you'll be surprised how much fresher and cleaner it looks. Having your carpet shampooed also removes odors from your home, and there's nothing more offensive than a dusty, musty odor to a prospective buyer who has just entered the home.
Tweak #5: Stain dings in the woodwork.
A scratch or ding in the woodwork attracts attention from across the room, and this is not a good thing when you're trying to sell a home. Especially if these dings are in one of the first rooms visitors will see, it's worth your while to cover them up with a scratch-filler marker or wood stain. Make sure you choose one that's the same color as your woodwork; there are hundreds of choices in stores.
Tweak #6: Wash your walls.
Most people rarely, if ever, wash their actual walls. However, this can go a long way towards making your home look and smell fresher. Walls do attract little bits of dust and grease over the years, and wiping them down gives them a fresh, just-painted appearance. Just use a mild detergent diluted in water.
Not every potential buyer who walks in the door is going to fall in love with your home. Everyone has different needs and preferences, and you can't please them all. It's silly, however, to miss out on a sale because of some chipped paint or a dingy carpet. Make the tweaks above, and you stand a greater chance of making a quick sale. For more tips, contact a local real estate company like Haring Realty.
Share