If you’re lucky enough to own your own property in this economy (something many young people of my millennial generation will be, sadly, unlikely to achieve in their lifetimes), fortune is on your side: you can sell your home and, potentially, make even more money.
But selling your house is not as easy as you might think. No, you also need to make your abode appear as appealing as possible to potential buyers.
How to do it? Stay with us: here are some of the steps you should consider to make your property buyer-ready when preparing to sell your house.
Step 1: Decluttering Your Home
Preparing your home for sale is the perfect time to get rid of all those bits and pieces you’ve had lying around for years.
Think about it; at any open for inspection you’ve ever attended, the property for sale has been, most often, devoid of junk. This is not a coincidence. No, the owners were likely acting on specific instructions from their selling agents to get rid of all the extra bits and bobs hanging around the house.
Unsure where to start? As Marie Kondo says, only choose to keep what “sparks joy”. Anything else is just taking up valuable space. Those ceramic figurines from your trip to Disney? Get rid of them. The worn-out rug adorning your living room floor? It’s seen better days.
While parting with some of your most well-used objects may be hard, the truth is that your home will be far more presentable – and appealing to buyers – once you rid yourself of the clutter that’s making it look messy.
Step 2: Fixes and Upgrades
When considering investing in your home to make it buyer-ready, sometimes, it pays to shell out. Those neglected odd jobs and expensive-to-fix upgrades are often worth the dollars you need to dish out, in order to impress and secure the perfect buyer. You might consider upgrading your property by purchasing custom aluminium windows online, or perhaps installing ceiling fans in every room.
Selling your home can also be a great time to fix up any of those squeaky wheels you haven’t ever gotten around to tending to. Maybe your carpet is looking a little threadbare, or your flooring could do with a spruce-up. Your walls could likely also benefit from a fresh paint job; a quick lick of colour can do much to brighten and lift an otherwise drab and dreary space.
Step 3: Consider Your Staging
How to stage a home when you’re preparing to sell? Often, that’s something that’s best left up to the professionals. But, if you’re keen to give it a go yourself, here are some tips;
Downsize your Furniture
That’s right, you heard me. One of the oldest tricks in the staging book is to use smaller furniture to make a property’s interior appear more spacious. Ingenious!
So, get rid of that oversized sofa and your bulky, voluminous wardrobe. Opt instead for a small-framed two-seater in the loungeroom, and delicate, lightweight bedroom furniture.
Decorate Thoughtfully
A key aspect of staging is the decor. So keep it tasteful: staging is not about displaying your unique, quirky style.
Instead, go for minimal decorations in neutral, muted hues. Think beige throw pillows for your couch, and classic, understated decor on the mantlepiece.
Keep it Clean
We might be stating the obvious here, but if you have potential buyers coming through your home, you’ll want to keep it clean.
Of course, this can be easier said than done: in between inspections, you’ll probably still be living there. But little touches – like remembering not to leave your toothbrushes out – are essential. Depersonalisation is a key aspect of staging, so be sure to also remove any personal items like photo frames from being out on display.
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If you’re keen to sell your home and get the possible price for it, it pays to invest in some upgrades before you put it on the market.
Impressing potential buyers is not always easy. But if you take the steps we’ve suggested today: cleaning, clearing and decluttering your home, upgrading any run-down elements that need to be fixed, and thoughtfully considering your home staging, you’re in with a far better chance.
