Beginning the home selling process can be incredibly daunting—especially for first-timers. You’ll need to take numerous steps before putting your property on the market, like deciding on staging, assessing house value, making necessary improvements, and marketing your home to reach the right buyers.
Preparing to sell is not only physically draining, but mentally taxing as well. Before you proceed with cleaning, spot painting, and depersonalizing your old home, take a moment to emotionally detach yourself from the place you are trying to sell. Set your sights on your future home instead of dwelling on the past, allowing you to push past difficult emotions. Afterward, you can proceed with landscaping projects to boost curb appeal and decluttering your home for a clean, spacious look.
Often sellers rush the process, creating complications and eye-sores down the road. Avoid common blunders by taking your time and accounting for sale expenses. Agent commissions, staging costs, and moving company fees should all be accounted for in your budget to avoid surprises down the line. Additionally, sellers should factor in pre-sale renovation costs, as simple paint jobs and refinishing wood can add up.
However, you can avoid pricey renovation costs by taking on a few simple DIY remodeling projects to increase your home’s value and attract prospective buyers. After completing a few weekend-friendly renovations, you’ll be hiring a moving company and booking auto transportation services from reputable providers like Guardian Auto Transport (www.guardianautotransport.com) in no time.
Fix up your walls
Your walls will highlight the wear-and-tear of your home, especially if you’ve lived there for several well-loved years. Though it isn’t time-or-cost-effective to paint all the rooms in your old house, you can cover and spot paint your home’s high traffic areas to fix any scratches or holes accumulated over the years. Utilize neutral colors to appeal to a wide variety of buyers, and with just a few hours of work, your home will look good as new.
Update your front door
Though you may not have the cash to invest in a front new door, consider inexpensive upgrades to your old model. A fresh coat of paint or a new handle could work wonders and leave a good impression on potential buyers.
Focus on curb appeal
Curb appeal should be a top priority on every seller’s to-do list as your yard is the first thing prospective buyers will see as they approach your property. According to Remodeling Magazine’s report, replacing your front door, fixing old windows, adding stone veneer front steps, or investing in vinyl siding results in the highest ROI for sellers.
Organize closets, kitchen, and bathrooms
Keeping a clean and decluttered home is a guaranteed way to attract potential buyers. Before listing your home on the market, spend time storing any decor or furniture that can distract your home’s layout. Next, organize remaining items by using sleek canisters, drawers, and bins. The added benefit to tidying and organizing your belongings pre-moving day is packing will be a breeze.
Power-wash outdoor surfaces
Those who don’t have the time or money to spend on re-painting and staining outdoor surfaces should invest in a power washer. You can rent machines, leaving your home squeaky clean. Power-washing outdoor walls leaves them looking fresh and newly-painted, a selling-point for potential buyers. Be sure to include your patios, driveways, and walkways when spraying the rest of your home to ensure the whole facade shines.
Work on floors or carpets
Shampooing your carpets before showings will extend the life of your floors and leave you with a much deeper clean than a vacuum alone. If you live in an older home and the carpets are beyond repair, check for hardwood flooring lurking underneath. Though refinishing old hardwood floors would require effort and a small investment, it can be much cheaper than installing new flooring altogether.
Wrapping up
Although a complete home renovation may be outside of your budget, exploring simple, inexpensive DIYs can leave your property looking fresh and clean for prospective buyers.
