Whether your local real estate market favors buyers or sellers, you want your property to stand out against competing used properties as well as new developments near you. If you prepare your home for the real estate market, you stand a good chance of selling more quickly and for more money.

Make essential repairs.

Tour your home both inside and out, preferably with a friend who can see things with a fresh pair of eyes. Then call out anything that noticeably needs repairs like a door that sticks or a small hole in the wall. Then repair these issues either by yourself or professionally. Otherwise, buyers will notice these problems and overestimate the time and effort required to make a fix. They’ll then start deducting the costs from their offering price.

When in doubt, take it out.

Too much dirt, too much clutter, and too much furniture make your rooms look old, crowded, and unattractive. Remove as many of your personal possessions as you can and then make your rooms spotless. Put just the basics in each room, such as a sofa and coffee table in the living room, and your spaces will expand without you adding any square footage. Don’t hide these extras in your closets, storage sheds, or garage, or these areas will seem to small. Store everything temporarily at a friend’s home or in a rented storage unit.

Modernize and neutralize.

Visit model homes in new developments to observe what’s hot in interior decorating and try to emulate the look in your own home, such as by painting garishly colored walls with popular neutral colors and replacing unwieldy furniture pieces with something sleek and more modern. These strategies update your interior and make them look more desirable.

If you want to know more about prepping your home or need help in selling it, please contact us.