Optimize Your Sale in 10 Ways – Part 1

Getting your home ready for sale is an exciting time but may require more prep work than you expect. You might think that simply hiring an agent and cleaning up the inside and outside of your home prepares you to list your property.

Maybe, but you likely haven’t maximized your home’s potential appeal.

There are several other important items that also need to be taken care of. Keep in mind that a full-service agent should be ready to help by giving guidance as to prioritization and strategy, as well as arranging for trades and services to assist. Your agent should help to identify and clearly explain what improvements will yield the biggest return.

We’ve outlined the ten essential steps that will help you maximize the sale of your home. Here in Part One, we look at the five preparatory steps that will help give you the best chance at a quick sale, and the most ROI.

1. Have the Right Agent

To best set yourself up for success, you’ll need an experienced and hands on agent guiding the process. Before you select one, find out:

1. 1. What is their experience level?
   2. Do they come recommended?
   3. What are their recommendations and what supports do they provide to best prepare your home for market?
   4. How will they effectively market your home?

2. Curb Appeal

If you’ve ever been out looking for a house, you know the value of a great first impression. Buyers decide within seconds of seeing and entering your property how they feel about it. Go to your curb and look objectively at your house. What sticks out? Is it good? Did it turn you off? Sometimes it’s a simple pruning of a tree, the planting of new flowers or shrubs, or a seasonal wreath on the door that can clinch a good first impression.

Also, what about the entryway to your home? Is it inviting? Occasionally these areas can be prone to clutter or storage.

3. Storage

When it comes to storage, you can never have enough. Storage is what buyers want to see, so ensure that storage spaces, closets, and corners are not full. You don’t have to clear it all out, but leave a little more than half of the area available and ensure it’s well organized. The emptier space that you create, the larger the storage capacity seems.

4. Small Upgrades/Cleaning

In most homes there are minor repairs, upgrades and cleaning that can be done to brighten and refresh your home.

While they may seem like insignificant items, they can have a huge impact on the buyer’s impression of the condition and value of your property. Here are some relatively affordable and very effective ways to create an amazing impression:

• Fresh coat of paint – This is probably the most valuable thing you can do to prepare your home to photograph and show well. Keep in mind a neutral palette allows the property to appeal to the widest range of buyers and set the right canvas to allow the property and staging to shine.
• Updated door and drawer hardware – Even if the home has not been renovated in quite some time, this little trick instantly updates the feel of your home.
• Updated light fixtures – Similar to the hardware above, this update allows a space to feel more current and appeals to the modern buyer.
• Fix cracks, breaks and visible damage – The more visible deficiencies a buyer can observe walking through the house the more their impression of the home is likely to be devalued. Taking the time to remedy these small things can go a long way.
• Clean and or refinish grout, baseboards and other well-worn items – These are areas that can easily build up dirt and age poorly. A refresh is the best way to apply a bit of anti-aging skin care to your home.
• Do a deep, thorough clean – Not only does this lend itself to the best impression, but it also gives buyers comfort in the impression that the property has been well tended to.

5. The Kitchen is it

If you’re considering more significant renovations in order to maximize your sale value, then this is the most important room in the house. Most buyers are drawn to move-in ready homes, so an updated kitchen will appeal more than one needing some TLC. If you’re planning on selling in the short term, then going with a current trend can be really effective in eliciting a strong response from buyers.  Keep in mind that these trends quickly pass so a more timeless aesthetic is a better choice when planning for a sale farther in the future.

Stay tuned, there are five more tips coming in Part Two.

Are you thinking of getting your house on the market and don’t have an agent yet? Click here to learn more about our process and approach. Want to get to know us better? Visit my Instagram page for more.

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash