Make Your House More Appealing to Buyers
How Do You Make Your House Stand Out From The Rest?
One of the first questions I get from home sellers is “how do I make my house more appealing to as many buyers as possible?” The market is competitive. And, when you decide to sell your home, you are probably facing quite a bit of competition from other sellers. Therefore, to stand out among the rest of the homes in your community, consider the following ideas.
Good Agent
First and foremost, hire a good agent. A true professional will help market your home using numerous methods. Many of which are not available to a homeowner without a professional. Also, the agent should have a full marketing plan which includes online, print, in-person and email marketing. Finally, be sure to follow your agent’s advice. We are your partner and we want to help you sell your home quickly and for more money! However, it doesn’t matter how good your agent is if your house isn’t welcoming and inviting from the second a buyer pulls up to the curb.
Here are a few easy ways to make your house more appealing to buyers:
Curb Appeal
First impressions are critical. And the first thing buyers will see is the exterior of your home. Therefore, you want the first impression to be a good one, which is why you will need to do your best to increase your curb appeal. So do the following improvements and you will increase your home’s value:
- Remove debris from your yard
- Add flowers, plants, and mulch to improve your landscaping
- Eliminate personal decorations
- Touch up the paint, especially the front door
You want the exterior to look great. Also, remember you do not have to go overboard and spend a ton of money. Do the work yourself and you can minimize your expenses. Follow these tips and you will capture a buyers interest from the moment they see your home online or when they pull up to the curb for a showing.
De-Clutter
How long have you lived in your home? Over time, you accumulate more stuff. You may not even realize it until you go to move. Unfortunately, too much clutter will negatively impact the value of your home. Clutter will make your home appear dirty and smaller than it really is. So before you list your home consider the following tips to de-clutter the inside:
- Three-year rule – if you haven’t used it in three years, toss it
- Donate items to a local charity. As a bonus, you will also receive a tax deduction
- Sell items on eBay, Craigslist or Facebook groups such as an online yard sale
- Rent a storage unit. If you can’t bear to give something up, put it in storage until you sell your home
- Take a photo to capture your memory of items and then donate, sell or recycle
Also, avoid putting items in the closets and the attic. Potential buyers will be looking in these places when they are considering a home purchase. Ultimately, your goal is to make your home feel spacious and open. Clearing the clutter out of your home can do just that!
Depersonalize Your Home
Buyers who enter your home want to be able to picture themselves and their personal belongings in the home. Thus, if you have family photos, collections or trophies put them away. Remember, this is only temporary until you sell your house or condo.
Additionally, you can look at this step as getting a head start on packing for your move. Due to your preparation to make your house more appealing for buyers you will have less to do when it comes time to move on to your next home!
Neutral Colors
What color are the walls of your home? Or, what about the exterior of your house? Although you may love bold, strong colors, others may be overwhelmed. Your goal is to appeal to as many buyers as possible. Therefore, you need to think neutral. For you it may seem bland, however, it makes it easier for buyers to envision what they would do if it were their home. Hence, follow these tips to appeal to more buyers:
- If you have murals, paint over them. Hint…take a picture first so you capture the image for memories sake.
- Paint over dark or bright-colored walls.
- Go with lighter, more earthier tones such as cream or beige.
Remember, you are moving and you will be able to paint your next home whatever color you want! Need some help? Ask your agent for suggestions.
Make Small Repairs
You’re bound to have small little repair work that needs to be done. And taking the time to fix the little things is one of the easiest things you can do to make your home more appealing to buyers. Take a good look around the house, do the doors work properly? Are all the light bulbs lit? Not only do you want to be sure the little things are fixed for the buyers, but you’ll also want to be sure they are fixed before any home inspection. Here are some minor repairs you can do without breaking the bank:
- Make sure all light bulbs are working
- All doors and door knobs are working properly
- Windows and doors open and close smoothly
- Remove marks from walls and or touch up the paint
- Remove stains from floors and carpets
- Repaint over dark or bright colored walls
- Clean tile grout
Walk around each room as if you are the buyer and ask yourself what you would think if you saw any imperfections. If you take care of these items early, then you’ll save yourself money in the long run!
Brighten Up the Place
Lighting has a huge impact on how a home will feel to a buyer from the second they walk into your home. The right light will make rooms look larger and more inviting. Therefore, consider upgrading any light fixtures that are outdated. Also, for showings, turn on the lights to brighten up the place. And if you follow these tips it will help you sell your home quickly and for the maximum price:
- Upgrade old light fixtures with contemporary lighting
- Turn on all lights for showings
- Put in energy-efficient light bulbs and make sure they are all working
- Place lamps in dark areas to brighten up space
Also, check out this article for more ideas on how to stage your house in the right light.
Tip: If you are on a tight budget and you live in an area such as Naples, check out the Habitat for Humanity store on Yahl Street. This location has light fixtures, fans, appliances, and cabinets at low prices.
Keep it Clean
A clean house is critical to first impressions. Keep your house clean at all times. For some of you, this will be easy as you already love to live in a clean home. However, if you are one to leave things on the counter and have toys or shoes all over the floors this might be more of a challenge. Ultimately, a clean house will be more attractive to buyers. You don’t want them looking at all the dirt instead of looking at the home itself and picturing themselves living in the home. Follow these tips to make your house more appealing to buyers:
- Hire a professional cleaning crew to do a deep clean
- Wash your windows inside and out
- Clean the grout on floor and shower tile
- Pick up all toys, shoes, and clutter and put the items in their proper place
- Remove all clutter from your countertops
In the event, you do not have the money to pay for a deep clean, do the best you can to thoroughly clean your home on your own. Ultimately, you want to make your house more appeal to as many buyers as possible. Especially compared to other homes for sale in your neighborhood. Bottom line, if you keep your house clean and tidy before every showing, you will set your home apart from the competition. making your house more appealing.
Pet Issues
So pets are great for people who love them. However, for buyers who do not like or are afraid of pets, it can be an immediate turnoff. Your home may smell fine to you because you are used to it, however, in many cases, strangers can detect foul odors that may distract them from focusing on your home.
- Eliminate Odors
- Clean carpets and floors to remove pet stains
- Pick up all toys and keep them out of sight
- Leave the home with your pets if at all possible during showings
- Pick up any poop in the backyard if you have dogs
- Clean the litter box if you have cats
Follow Your Agents Advice
A good agent or broker will be able to provide you with advice to prepare your home for sale. Hence, tips like these are useful to get your home ready. Yet, the most important thing you can do is take care of the issues your agent considers most important first. Remember, your representative sees thousands of homes each year. He or she hears feedback from clients almost every day. Often times, the negative comments from buyers could have been avoided by following these tips. Finally, follow the advice of your agent and you will increase your chances of a successful sale at a higher price.
Additional Home Selling Articles Worth Reading
- How to chose a storage unit via Maximum Exposure Real Estate.
Take advantage of these additional home selling resources when you are getting ready to put your home on the market.
Bottom Line to Make Your House More Appealing
Preparation and excellent representation by a qualified agent is key to making hour house more appealing than other homes on the market. As a result, you will sell your home quickly and at the highest price possible.
About Matt Klinowski
What About Distressed Sales?
Overall, distressed sales only accounted for 7 percent of total sales in January 2017 and it was the same as last month. However, it is 2 percent less than last year.
And Investors?
Lastly, investment sales accounted for 15 percent of sales in January 2017 which was the same as December of last year and down 2 percent from last January. Most notably, real estate investment purchases have been declining since the recession in 2011 and 2012. With fewer distressed sales available for purchase. Due to the significant decline in stress sales on the market, this trend is expected to continue.
Bottom Line:
Finally, when you are ready to buy a condo or home in Naples, you will find it is more complex than a typical home purchase. Condos have various fees and assessments that are not always obvious when you begin your property search. Also, if you have pets, there often restrictions on what type of pets and how big your pet can be. Lastly, demographics vary significantly in each community.
So when you are looking for information about a specific community in Bonita Springs, Estero or Naples, contact me and I will prepare a custom market report for you. I can help provide the market information and more importantly, provide insights to help ensure you select the best community to match your needs.
About Matt Klinowski