When spring is in the air, it typically means the real estate market will be in full swing in the next coming months. Whether you have decided to move to another city, downsize, or need more space for your growing family, spring is the best season to start getting it ready for sale. During spring, gardens blossom and add a hint of serenity to homes. The season also has fewer festivities and holidays, making it more appealing to buyers. Therefore, to sell your home faster, it will mean more than just sticking a yard sign out and waiting for the offers to roll in.
To experience a smooth transition, here are 10 things to set the “stage” right:
1. Deep Clean
It can be a cliché, but then it’s imperative to give your house an in-depth cleaning. You shouldn’t wait until spring to deep clean your house. Be proactive, roll up your sleeves, and start cleaning now. Clean the doors, ceilings, windows, and walls. Vacuum the carpets and dust all the light fixtures. Your kitchen needs to be spotless, therefore, pay attention to the sinks, counters, refrigerator, oven, and dishwasher. Also, inspect the downspouts, gutters, roof, and chimney and ensure they’re clean and properly fitted.
2. Declutter and Depersonalize
After you’ve deep cleaned the house, ensure you’ve decluttered and depersonalized it to prepare for a possible home-sale deal. Typically, homebuyers want to see an excellent, primped version of your home where they can visualize themselves living in. You can start by removing magazines on the floor, grocery list on the fridge, and bills on tables.
Put away excessive family photos on the walls, any particularly eccentric art, trophies, and any religious or political décor items. No buyer wants to step into a living room full of glamor blasts from the 80s! You can pack all these things to ease your move.
3. Eliminate Odors
Foul odors are huge turnoffs to would-be homebuyers. Therefore, do not mask domiciliary odors with air fresheners, as they can be overpowering and cause allergies. Instead, include the scent of fresh cinnamon, cookies, apples, freshly cut flowers, and position them in a plain view of the kitchen.
4. Do Some Minor Home Upgrades
Check around the home and make a list of everything that is not properly functioning. Organize and list them in small to large and front to back manner to ease repair. Replace anything that is broken or old and decrepit, as this not only maintain the value of your home, but also shows buyers that the home is well maintained and cared for. However, this doesn’t mean you should do major renovations by spending thousands of dollars, as you may not get that money back while selling the home, rather take care of minor repairs, such as re-grouting the shower or fixing that leaky faucet.
5. Paint with Neutral Colors
While getting your house ready for sale, a new coat of paint can be a huge plus. Using similar colors in adjacent rooms will enhance the flow of your home and tie everything together. Keep your customer in mind and go for neutral colors. However, neutral doesn’t necessarily mean beige or white. In fact, beige can be boring and blah…, while white can be cold and quite stark. However, you can opt for warm neutrals such as pale taupe or soft gray, and remember to paint the front door and add new exterior lights as well to make the rooms more inviting.
6. Increase the Light
Winter is an excellent time to update your interior fixtures. Replacing dead bulbs will ensure that your home has the light, brisk feeling that most buyers look for. Having well-chosen fixtures in the bedroom or foyer can take your home to the next level and give an immediate wow factor. Most light fixture shops carry various sets of lights with unique silhouettes to suit customer’s different taste.
7. Get Rid of Old and Oversized Furniture
The less furniture you keep in your home, the larger it will appear. You could donate or sell pieces you don’t plan to carry to your new home. It is also vital to arrange your furniture since they can have a considerable impact on the first impression. Since you’ll probably spend more time indoors during winter, it’s an excellent time to try reorganizing the pieces just to give the house a new look. Nevertheless, always think of the balance in the room, for instance, if you have a large room, move the furniture from the walls.
Note- you can put the large pieces of furniture in the storage room or have them shipped to your new place.
8. Choose the Right Agent
Having a realtor to guide you through the process can help you sell your house quickly, and getting one within your area could be a big plus. The agent should pay attention to your house-selling details, and ensure his/her listings appear on all the main online real estate sites.
9. Get Real About Pricing
Today, potential homebuyers are well informed about the comparable sales in different areas, and this could profoundly affect the fair market value of your house. However, if you price your house right at the outset, you’ll likely have bidders at your doorstep sooner than you think. Have your realtor look over sales prices of some of the sold houses within your area that are similar to yours and set your price closer to that.
10. Enhance Your Curb Appeal
Your home’s curb appeal can make a significant difference when it comes to whether or not a potential buyer chooses to view a home. If a customer passes by a home that appears neglected from the exterior, it’s more likely they will decide not to check the property. To set your home for the spring real estate market, here are a few outside chores to complete:
- Fertilize, mulch, and trim gardens and flower beds
- Prune the bushes and reseal driveways
- Plant bright plants and flowers
Remember, an excellent interior undermined by a shambolic exterior won’t make a good first impression and thus, do not skimp on your home’s curb appeal.
The Takeaway
The spring real estate market is a great opportunity to prepare and sell your home. It is typically the time that market begins to pick up after its annual winter slump. However, to have a pleasant and favorable experience with the buyers, the above sure-fire tips will help you get ahead of the competition even before you list your home.