With home values down, sellers are reluctant to spend more than they need to in preparing their homes for sale. It is often necessary to do certain things to make your home more attractive and they don't need to be expensive.
Here are somethings you can do to prepare your home for sale that won't bust your budget:
- Paint your front door--you probably have the paint left over from the last time. Remember, first impressions are key!
- Clean the windows--if you don't want to spend the money for a professional, pull out your cleaning supplies and push up your sleeves and do it yourself.
- Sort through the linen closet--most of us have towels stashed in there that we would never hang out for company...time to turn them into rags.
- Put away your off season clothes--it will make your closets look bigger and more spacious.
- Trim the bushes and bag the leaves--this will make your garden look fresher and well kept.
- Walk the yard and throw things away--old plant pots and broken toys should be tossed.
- Clean out your cabinets--yes, purchasers will open your cabinets--and your drawers and your closets. Clean them out!
- Re-caulk your tubs and showers--Buyers will look to see if you do this sort of routine maintenance, so do it!
- Wipe down the switch plates and light switches. Your house can be really clean, but if the switch plates are dirty or paint splattered, buyers will notice.
- Clean all doors. You open and close your doors every day. Overtime, they get grungy. Wipe them down through out the house.
As you can see, many of these tasks cost no more than your time and the cost of cleaning supplies, but they will make a big difference in how your home shows to prospective buyers.
If you are planning to sell your Northern Virginia home and are interested in learning more about some of the suggestions I make to my listing clients, feel free to call or email me and we can set up a confidential appointment.
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I believe that buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE. If I can help you, your friends or family buy or sell their next home in Northern Virginia, please let me know!
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Good Morning Holly, Thank you for the tips! You hit on important things that a person can do without the cost.
A good easy list for sellers! All common sense! Isn't it funny how some sellers just have a hard time with the simple stuff? Thanks!
Great blog and great job. Keep up the great work and good luck to you this year
This is a great list of "cheap" tips. Those simple things can make all the difference.
This is a good easy list for sellers and even agents can use it to make simple suggestions. Thanks and have a great week.
Good morning Holly. Excellent post! You have stated the obvious but for many sellers who live in their debris they don't see it anymore. Your list should be a handout to every seller. Suggested!
The impact of these low cost "fixes" will pay themselves back many times over... just because you the seller can walk past those items every day doesn't mean that the potential buyer will have the same attitude. Clean the house like you've never cleaned before and things will go in your favor.
Yes, buyers do judge a book by it's cover, first impressions are key, great tips thanks.