Buyers expect the condition of your home to match the description and maintenance issues can turn buyers off. Even after you have listed your home on various websites, be prepared for potential buyers to show up. But before that, you need to make sure that your house is sale-ready. Get tips online on home improvements, make the necessary repairs, light the house properly, de-clutter every room, touch-up or repaint the rooms if necessary, so that when the potential buyers come to visit your open-house, they can make a proper decision.
Prioritize the most glaring issues that are likely to turn up during home inspections. With a number of houses on sale to choose from, home buyers can afford to be picky about the property they invest their hard-earned money in. Home buyers look for the best so a home up for sale can easily slip through the cracks if it’s not in a pristine condition. Investing some time and effort to prepare your house for sale can increase the chances of getting offers as soon as you list the property.
Here are a few things that you must do before showing your house to potential buyers in order to avoid any deal breakers:
De-clutter
Clutter can be a major obstacle while selling a home. Most of us live in clutter and we get so accustomed to it that we hardly perceive anymore. Start with the closets; make sure that your closets are half-full with nothing on the floor. The same goes for bookshelves and kitchen shelves as well. Your house should showcase spaciousness when the potential buyers come to visit. If your home is a mess, it leaves a bad impression on the people visiting making them question the maintenance of the house as well.
Clean it
A major turn-off for home buyers is walking into a home with grimy floors, crusty kitchens counters, and dirt and dust everywhere. Before you list your house on the market, make sure it’s cleaned from top to bottom until it’s sparkling. Make an extra effort to steam-clean the tiles and replace the carpets. If the carpets are old and smelly, replace them; if they are new, make sure they are shampooed. If it seems like a daunting task that is too much for you, hire a professional cleaning service. The added expense is worth it.
Make it spacious
Almost every home show better if it looks spacious so remove the extra furniture, empty bookcases, artwork, and pieces that block the paths and walkways and rent out a storage unit to put them in. Organize the closets and drawers and leave them with minimum stuff in them.
Make the necessary repairs
In a buyer’s market, you want your home to be in the best condition possible. Make sure to take care of the major defects like broken windows, or a leaking roof. Normal wear and tears such as a squeaky door or a window that sticks may seem like minor quirks to you but these could discourage buyers and lower the value of your home. Your home’s ventilation, heating, and air conditioning system should work and be leak-free. In addition to this, make sure that the smoke detectors, electrical panels, circuit breakers, and water heaters work properly. Also examine the exterior of the house for peelings, cracks, etc.
Depersonalize
Nowadays, home buyers look for places with a certain character and charm. The personal décor that you appreciate might turn out to be a major turn-off for potential buyers. Decorate the house such that the potential buyers can imagine living in the home. So, make it easier for them to do that by neutralizing the interior of the house. Any décor that might be controversial or sensitive to others, such as sports or political memorabilia, religious or military icons, should be removed before the buyers visit. Keep it neutral and upbeat.