Getting ready to buy a new home is more than an exciting chapter in anyone’s life, no matter how old (or young) you happen to be. This, however, may incline you to speed up the sale and especially the preparation stage of your old place. While stress might make you want to just get this over with, which is perfectly understandable and justifiable, preparing and staging your house properly will bring you a significantly higher return on your investment. Selling your old house is a huge financial opportunity, but only if you do it right.
Start treating it like a business
As soon as you decide to start looking for a new home, the one you’re currently living in immediately turns into your asset. An asset you’re trying to get paid for well. Thus, it’s important that you appeal to the audience, that is, the potential buyers. This means that you should leave out your sense of style and personal taste and create a classic, universally appealing look. Be careful with the interior design, from the way your walls are painted to the slightest details of your home décor. You should definitely go with a subtle, timeless design of neutral shades, understated décor and impactful decorations. Your home is your product, and in order to sell it, you need to give the audience what they want.
Repaint
Whether you’re planning to keep the old colour scheme or introduce a sense of novelty with new chic hues, you can rest assured that your home needs some freshening up. Scratches and marks build up over the years and these things are noticeable, especially to buyers who will be thoroughly checking everything. Stick to neutral colours that will give your space a warm, inviting and elegant visual appeal. Neutrals are considered to be a classic that will never go out of style, so they’re always the safe option.
Fix up the exterior
Your home’s curb appeal is what will greatly influence the buyer’s first impression, so make it be a positive one. In this case, everything counts, from the front door and porch to panels and facades. Your façade, in particular, should have a sleek appeal. For instance, composite aluminium cladding panels with a largely non-combustible core is always a fantastic way to go because they are durable, modern and affordable.
Your garden is another important aspect of your home’s exterior, so spruce it up. Remove the weeds, plant some flowers that will embellish your yard with lovely colours and set up a stylish seating area if possible.
Get rid of clutter
A decluttered home always feels much more open and pleasant than when everything is crammed up, especially when you’re selling your house. This is a vital step that will help you create a fresh, not too lived-in look. In addition, you should also remove your personal items in order to appeal to buyers. The best approach to decluttering is to take one room at a time because it will keep your more efficient. You should remove excessive items and keep your decorations to a minimum. It’s always better to go with just a few impactful details that can truly come into focus. Furthermore, keep your surfaces clean and clear to prevent clutter from building up.
Hire a cleaning pro
Unfortunately, you will never be as thorough as the pros and your home absolutely has to look perfect. Hiring a professional cleaning crew to make your house as presentable as possible is an excellent investment. A team of professional cleaners will not only tackle every corner of your home, but they will also apply more effective cleaning supplies that will make your space truly spotless. In addition, if you leave cleaning to the pros, you’ll have more time to deal with other important tasks.
Perform all the necessary repairs
Bear in mind that having your home look perfect isn’t enough. It has to truly be perfect. This means that you should deal with all the necessary repairs, especially when it comes to electrical issues, plumbing, the HVAC system and appliances. However, even simple repairs, such as fixing the broken doorknob, matter. Of course, it’s not a crucial one, but it will certainly leave a certain impression on prospective buyers. Thus, make sure to assess the current condition of your property and deal with possible problems.
When it comes to preparing your home for sale, you need to start treating your property as an asset worth investing in. From simple changes and repairs to major upgrades, preparing your home properly will truly pay off when the payday comes.
Derek Lotts is a Sydney based writer and researcher, a regular contributor at Smooth Decorator blog. He writes about décor, gardening, recycling, ecology and business. He thinks all of these topics fall under the self-improvement category. He believes in the power of sharing ideas and communicating via the internet to achieve betterment.
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