The Big Game last weekend marked the beginning of the spring homebuying season—yes, already! If you’re planning on selling your home in the next few months, you should start preparing ASAP. Wondering how to get your home ready to sell? Focus on the following.
Repair your home
Before you can start beautifying and taking photos, you have to take care of the basics. A home in disrepair, even if the problems are just cosmetic, will turn buyers off. It suggests the house hasn’t been well-maintained and indicates that there may be larger problems lurking—even if there aren’t.
Start by tackling anything that might raise red flags on a home inspection. Leaky roof? Rust, peeling paint, damaged gutters? What about cracked concrete or broken glass? Anything that presents a real problem to the home’s function should be addressed right away so that your home gets a clean bill of health when the inspector comes through.
Beyond that, consider what will impact the experience of a potential buyer. The bulb should work when someone tours your home and tries to turn on the light. If they’re checking out the bathroom, the faucet shouldn’t drip. A home tour should be as positive an experience as possible for potential buyers, so take care of minor repairs like leaky faucets, burn-out light bulbs, squeaky door hinges, loose floorboards, cracks or holes in the walls, and the rest.
Upgrade and update
Once your home is repaired, it’s time to beautify it. That means identifying the areas in your home that are worn out, outdated, and in need of an upgrade. You shouldn’t spend your time and money doing a total remodel, but you should update enough that your home looks fresh and modern.
Where do you start? Try a new coat of paint. Go with trendy but neutral-leaning colors with broad appeal. New paint will make your home feel clean and bright, and it’ll bring one of the highest ROIs of any home improvement project.
If you’re not sure what else to do, focus on the kitchen. The kitchen is always a major selling point, so upgrades here will likely bring a bigger ROI. Try changing your backsplash to something on-trend, updating cabinet hardware, and bringing in color. That’s right—all white is out for 2023, while rich color and natural accents will bring the offers rolling in.
Work on your curb appeal
Spring is the time for landscaping, and while it’s still a little early for outdoor planting in Raleigh, you can improve your curb appeal by cleaning up. Remove dead branches and debris, make sure your yard is tidy, and repair your fence. You should also have the windows cleaned and powerwash your home’s exterior—and don’t forget that a new coat of paint goes a long way.
Once the weather warms up, you can start landscaping. Beautiful flowers, trees, and native plants that provide visual interest all year long will bring the biggest ROI.
Declutter and depersonalize
Right before you list, it’s time to declutter your home. Organize your space and make sure every room is living up to its potential. It should be easy to move around during a tour, and the furniture arrangement should maximize the living space and light. Try to view your house with the objective eye of a potential buyer, and note flaws you might point out if you were thinking about buying it. Then try to address those.
Lastly, depersonalize your home. Take down family pictures, remove personal items like medications from the medicine cabinets, and put away political and religious artifacts. This will help buyers visualize the home as theirs instead of yours—and if they can see themselves living there, they’re more likely to make an offer.
Getting ready to sell?
You’re in good hands. We’re in the top 1% of agents nationwide for a reason, and we can’t wait to put our skills and expertise to work for you. Whether you’re ready to list right now or you need some help preparing, we’ve got your back. Fill out the form below, and we’ll help you get started.
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