Four Things Crucial to Getting Your Home Ready to Sell

It’s time to move. The family has outgrown your current home or the town has gotten too big for your liking. There are any number of reasons to want to move, these were just a couple of them. Whatever the reason, you have decided a move is best for you and your family.

This means you have also decided to sell your current home. There are so many things you have to do to get your home ready to sell. If you have kids, you will probably need to repaint the walls to get rid of the markings they have made over the years. You will need to shampoo the carpets, probably a couple of times, particularly if you have pets.

Repairs

If there is anything broken in your house, then now is the time to repair it. Yes, you will have to spend money up front but, by doing this now you will receive a bigger payout when your home sells. A small fix can increase your home’s worth tremendously.

Any subflooring issues that you have simply lived with all of these years will need to be straightened out. If your foundation is cracked or otherwise damaged, then take care of it before putting your house up on the market. Have you had plumbing or electrical problems in your house? You need to go ahead and have them repaired; this could lead to legal action if you do not.

Replace Appliances

If you have outdated appliances, it will probably help sell your home quicker if you go ahead and replace them. That fridge or dishwasher may still be working after 20 years – which shows great craftsmanship – but the style of the appliance may not work with current homebuyers. If you are looking at repainting the kitchen, you will probably do it in a neutral color. The appliance need to match as well.

Regardless of whether you intend to keep the appliance or plan on leaving it with the house, you will still want to replace them. This is one of the ways you can improve your home’s selling potential. Anything that could detract the home’s appeal will subconsciously stick with the homebuyer and lean them away from buying your home. The new appliance will act as window dressing for the house.

De-personalize

Take down all of those family photos and box them up. Change out the bed sheets from specific designs to a single-color scheme. Anything you can do to depersonalize the house you need to do. This is one of the biggest mistakes sellers make. A buyer will want to see what the home could be to them, not what it is now to you. If they do not have as clean a slate as possible to see the potential of a room then they are less likely to buy the house.

Get rid of any pet paraphernalia as well. Having animals is worse than having kids, in the eyes of a buyer. They want to know they are walking into a house not damaged by cat claws or dog urine or the such. When you have a house showing, you will need to take your pets and all of their accessories out of the home. Making your home as seemingly pet free is a crucial step in preparing your home for sale.

Yardwork

The yard is the first thing buyers see when they pull up to your home. They will not want to see grass a foot tall or flower beds overgrown with weeds. These sights could bring your home’s value down exponentially.

Make sure to have a well-manicured lawn and clean, simple shrub beds. The garden you so loved will probably not appeal to most others and will have to go. Buyers do not want to walk into something they are going to have to spend a lot of time maintaining.