When preparing to sell your home, there are a few things that you should do to ensure that your home stands out from all of the houses for sale Oxford MS. Don’t just list your home without some advanced preparation to help it stand out and be more attractive to potential buyers. A few minor touch-ups can go a long way towards making a positive impression on potential buyers, perhaps cinching the deal on a sell. Here is a list of 15 tips for preparing to sell your home.
Clean thoroughly! When cleaning, be sure to pay attention to every spot where a potential buyer may look. Dust on top of fireplace mantles, and even ceiling fan blades. Wash windows of fingerprints, and polish appliances and faucets. Consider hiring a professional cleaning service to come in and deep clean your home for you if you have already moved out, or are too busy to give your home the attention it deserves to get it cleaned.
Pay attention to smells and odors. Be conscious of what you cook the day of a showing. Smells like the aroma of bacon, while smelling good, will linger for a long time. Ensure that the trash is taken out and that there are no unpleasant odors anywhere in your home. Bad smells can turn a buyer off from noticing how great your home really is. If you have pets in your home, be especially vigilant with cleaning. Although your nose may be immune to pet odors, prospective buyers can be quite sensitive to them.
Clean out and declutter. Remove any stacks and piles that have accumulated on the kitchen counters or by entry doors. You want potential buyers to see how great your home and each space is, and not be distracted by piles of shoes or last week’s mail. Make sure that potential buyers can see how great your home is, so that they can picture themselves living there. They won’t be able to do that with someone else’s belongings lying around.
Repaint with neutral colors. While you might have a thing for various colors and patterns, not all potential buyers will have your same sense of style. Loud and vibrant colors, while they may look good to you, could potentially turn off buyers who don’t share your same sense of design. Painting your walls a neutral color will allow for potential buyers to picture the space with their own touch of style and furniture, making the space their own.
Keep it simple. The best way to help buyers picture themselves in your space is to keep your décor simple. Remove any décor that is outlandish or different that could turn off potential buyers who do not share the same taste as you. A simple landscape painting and some flowers are fine. Zebra stripped rugs should be removed. If you have wildly colored furniture, put a slipcover over each piece for showings.
Depersonalize. When buyers come to look at your home, they want to be able to picture themselves living in your space. Remove any personal items that could detract from them visioning themselves in your space. Take down family photos and kids artwork to give the space a more neutral feeling.
Lighting. Open up all of the curtains to allow the maximum amount of natural light to come in. For rooms that are dim, or don’t receive as much direct sunlight, they can be brightened up with simple floor or table lamps. When a room is brighter, if feels bigger and more inviting, which is what buyers are looking for.
Bring nature inside. Having potted plants or flowers in a vase can add a positive energy to any space. Fill empty corners or draw attention to key features of a room by using plants.
Organize closets. For almost every buyer, storage space is a key selling point. Closets that are filled to the brim with junk will give buyers the illusion that the home is lacking in storage space. Invest in boxes, dividers, and other solutions to showcase how much storage space your home really does have. Any items that you don’t need immediately can be removed, to help make the storage space appear larger.
Remove bulky furniture. Furniture should fit the space of the room. Remove any furniture that is unnecessary or oversized, in order to give the illusion that the space is larger than it really is. Be sure to not block any walkways when arranging your furniture as well.
Tackle the honey-do list. Those little projects that you’ve been meaning to get to but never have the time to do? It’s time to get them done. Buyers will notice the little things that should have been fixed, and they will detract from the value of your home. Be sure to schedule some time to fix all the little protects on your honey-do list to ensure that you get the most value for your home.
Give each room a purpose. That spare bedroom that you have been using as a storage room, home gym, and occasional guest room will confuse potential buyers. Be sure to give each space a purpose to showcase to buyers how they can use the space themselves.
Keep the flow going. The last thing you want is to have buyers walking into furniture as they are touring your home. Disrupting the flow can cause a distraction in their focus of the space and make your space appear cramped. Before you put your home up for sale, do a dry run-through as if you are seeing your home for the first time. Make a mental note of anything that needs to be addressed prior to having buyers come through.
Make it look “lived in”. Buyers like to see a space that looks lived in, to help them envision themselves in your space. An inviting arm chair with a tray, coffee cup, and book can turn a boring corner into an inviting reading nook. Pretty soaps displayed in decorative trays can make a small bathroom more appealing and relaxing.
Boost curb appeal. Don’t neglect your outside curb appeal by working only on the inside. Some buyers may decide to pass your home over without even walking through the front door based on the curb appeal. Trim shrubs and trees, weed flower beds, and fix any peeling paint or falling rain gutters. Be sure to keep the walkways clean. Simple additions, such as potted plants or a cheerful wreath, can make a big difference in boosting your home’s curb appeal.
After doing some preparation work around your home, you are ready to list your home for sale. Whether you decide to sell your house yourself or to hire an Oxford realtor, your home will be ready for buyers to envision themselves living in your space. Kay Hightower is a premier realtor in Oxford, and has years of experience in helping houses for sale in Oxford MS sell quickly after the homeowners have done the necessary preparation work to prepare their home for the real estate market.