Are you considering selling your home, but maybe don’t know where to start? When putting your home up for sale, the waiting game is one of the hardest parts. What steps can you take in order to boost its curb appeal and make your home more marketable? Let us dive into these unknowns and get you on the right track to listing your home.
Thinking of the good old days of 2002 – 2005 when people were listing their homes and receiving multiple offers – many over the asking price. Today, selling your home can be surprisingly time-consuming and emotionally challenging, especially if you’ve never done it before. At times, it may feel like an invasion of privacy because strangers will come into your home, open your closets and cabinets, and poke around. They will criticize a place that has probably become more than just four walls and a roof to you, and, to top it all off, they will offer you less money than you think your home is worth.
Steps and Curb Appeal Ideas to increase your home value.
1. Find an agent and rely on him/her to find out how much other homes in the area are selling for, and the terms that will make your offer stand out.
Sure, it’s the age of the internet, and every service can be accessed online, who needs a real estate agent to hold their hand? But as most industry professionals will tell you, that may not be applicable in the case of real estate transactions — especially when selling your home. Your agent will be the most important asset in the home selling process. You will need someone who is knowledgeable of the area and can meet your needs as a seller. Having them find out how much other homes in the area are selling for is essential to determine how much over asking price makes sense. Also, always ask for a comparative market analysis (or CMA) so you get an average price of your home.
2. Clean, Organize and set the Stage.
The last thing that a potential buyer wants to see when they look at a home, whether it be online or in-person, is clutter. If a home looks like it cannot house many of your belongings, buyers may draw the conclusion that it can’t house theirs. It is a good idea to do a clean sweep of any areas of your home a buyer will be walking through once you list it. This includes closets, pantries, space in your garage, kitchen drawers, bookshelves, etc.
Take any of your excess belongings to a donation center or pack it up to be stored off-site while your home is being listed. Organizing your home ahead of time will not only make it more appealing to the eye of a curious buyer, but it also makes your life easier when the time comes for you to move because a majority of your personal belongings will already be packed and ready for move-out.
3. Take Pictures!
The most efficient way to attract potential buyers to your property is by taking incredible photos. Whether you hire a photographer or take them personally, make sure that these photos are as professional as possible.
In today’s digital age, 95% of the time, a person will see your home online before seeing it in person. Your images should catch their attention. If you are taking them yourself, pay particular attention to the angles, lighting, and clarity of the images. If you need to take more than one photograph of a certain room in your home from different angles, it is recommended to do so. You want a buyer to be able to see as much of your home as possible in the pictures, so they will be interested to take a further look in person.
4. Curb appeal improvements with High ROI.
Paint Your Front Door
Your home’s front entry is among the first things potential buyers will look at when they come to your property for showings. A fresh coat of paint on the front door can definitely revive the exterior of your house and give it a whole new look. Pick a bold color to make it pop, but make sure it blends well with the other colors on your house.
Paint the exterior
If you’ve got extra time and money, you might want to consider repainting your entire house. This can be a time-consuming and expensive DIY curb appeal project, but it can add several thousands of dollars to your property value when selling your home If you can’t afford to paint your whole house, what you can do is touch up any areas where the paint is fading or peeling. Faded and peeling paint can downgrade the aesthetic of your home and quickly turn away property buyers.
Update porch Fixtures
This can instantly improve the look of your home, both day and night. Exterior lights are worth a little extra investment, since they get quite a bit of abuse from the elements. Aluminum fixtures and hardware tend to be the cheapest and the best choice for a quick fix and instant glow up of your property.
Add Seasonal Decor
Our final curb appeal improvement is to add seasonal decor to your home’s exterior, depending on the time of the year. For example, if you are selling your home on Halloween, hang a simple fall wreath on your front door and decorate your front porch with some pumpkins and potted mums. These simple touches can add a warm and homey feel to the exterior of your home. But, don’t go overboard with decorations!
What's next?
Once you have followed these steps, your agent will take care of uploading your home and pictures to the MLS, schedule showings for potential buyers and rely the offers that are submitted on to you. Just sit back and watch the offers come in! Your only concern will be choosing the offer that is the right one for you. In addition, you can share your home on your own social media accounts and send it to friends and family, so they may share it too. You never know who in your own circle or theirs is looking to buy a new home.
Good luck with getting ready to sell your house and all the best in finding your new home.
Ready to begin your Home-Selling process? Request a professional Home Valuation from a Real Estate agent and get on the right track from the start.
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