What can you do to prepare your house for sale? Plenty – and it starts from the outside. Here are some tips to help spruce up your property and optimize its curb appeal.
Start With The Lawn
They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. This may be true, but that rule can and should be overlooked when trying to sell your home. You can change the cover easily by first cutting the grass and then working from there. Tighten up your bushes with a trim, get rid of all yard clutter, and add fresh mulch to flowerbeds. If you don’t mind spending the extra cash on hiring a landscaper, do it. A job costing you a few hundred bucks could actually add a few thousand dollars to your property’s value because of the “curb appeal” phenomenon. The idea is this: if the outside looks good, the inside must look fantastic.
Walkways and Fencing
You can make your walkways look really sharp with a lawn trimmer. The technique is simple: flip the blade sideways to carefully trim the edging, crafting a tighter, more professional appearance. Plant some colorful flowers in areas that need brightening. Indeed, preparing your house for sale can be dirty work, but a few dollars worth of flowers also can add value to your property.
Clean up your fence with a fresh coat of paint. Be sure to spray it down first to remove any lingering dirt or dust, and make sure to paint only after the surface has dried.
Make sure your address is easy to see – consider purchasing new numbers if it would improve the look from the street. And speaking of addresses, you might consider buying a new mailbox too.
Finally, thoroughly clean your windows inside and out. They should be sparkling!
Let’s Move Inside
Preparing your house for sale also requires some inside work. The entryway sets the stage for potential buyers. Install new light bulbs and clear out all cobwebs, dust, and dirt. If you have a doorbell, make sure it works. A broken doorbell, believe it or not, can break a deal way too early.
Make sure the door is in perfect working order: no squeaking, jamming, or sticky locks, and certainly no quirks requiring a physicist to figure out.
Once inside, make sure the entryway is clutter free: shoes, umbrellas, toys, and anything else that gets in the way. A nice coat rack and/or shoe rack can actually add appeal to an otherwise boring setting.
Give your closets some space by removing any unnecessary items, including extra hats, coats, and clothing you should have donated to a shelter years ago.
Make Your Kitchen Shine
Now is a good time to throw those leftovers in the trash. Potential buyers are going to go through all the cabinets, and, yes, the refrigerator too. Having to eat out for a while will amount to peanuts compared to the value a tight-looking kitchen brings to your home. Clear away the counter tops. You want these, and your kitchen, to look as spacious as possible. For those of you with wooden floors, a quick waxing will do.
The idea is to add space and beauty, not only to the outside of your house for sale, but also to the inside. If you’re not sure where to start, and you’ve hired a realtor, ask them for suggestions. They’ll be more than happy to get your place ready for the market.
