Selling a home? Don’t forget: A RE/MAX agent can help – and they have the experience needed to get the job done in today’s market.
Whether you’re downsizing on space, making room for more family members or trying a new location, moving to a new home is an exciting time. But first, you need to sell your current place – and that means sprucing it up to highlight its best features for prospective buyers.
As you prepare your home to hit the market, keep these four things in mind:
1. First impressions typically happen online
The first place many buyers go to browse properties is a home search site, like remax.com. Here, photos are usually what determines if a buyer clicks into a listing, assesses its value and determines if they want to schedule an in-person tour.
As you prepare your place to sell, consider what first impression it will deliver to digital scrollers. And remember: How you see your home is not necessarily how buyers will see it. Chances are, you feel nostalgic about certain rooms, paint colors, furniture pieces, mementos and more – but depersonalizing and decluttering the space can go a long way in your sale. After all, prospective buyers are trying to envision it as the backdrop for their belongings and their memories to come.
To depersonalize your place, store away items like family photos, kids’ artwork, pet paraphernalia and toiletries, just to name a few. Wall color can be a great form of self-expression, but when it’s time to sell, it may be helpful to opt for neutral shades to create a blank canvas effect.
Staging is also a great way to incorporate current trends. Before listing your home for sale, consider optimizing the placement of your current furniture and décor, upgrading dated pieces or hiring a professional to stage the space to appeal to today’s buyers. Sometimes, a few small changes can make a big difference to the overall look and feel of a room.
2. Curb appeal is crucial
When preparing a home to sell, much of the focus is on the home’s interior. But don’t forget the importance of curb appeal. The outside of the property is what buyers initially see when they take a tour, and it can sometimes be an indicator for how well the inside of the home is cared for.
Curb appeal isn’t exclusive to warmer months. A few seasonal ideas:
- Winter: Keep walkways clear of snow and ice, remove storm debris (like fallen branches) from the yard, add a fresh door mat and consider upgrading the exterior light to a sleek option.
- Spring: Touch up (or re-paint) the home’s exterior, pressure wash walkways and porches, support grass growth, trim shrubs and trees, refresh mulch beds and add new, vibrant plants.
- Summer: Mow the lawn, stick to a regular watering schedule for green grass, stage the porch with outdoor furniture and add flowerpots for pops of color.
- Fall: Continue with lawn care (until temps approach freezing!), rake leaves from the yard, keep the gutters clear and consider implementing seasonal décor.
3. Maintenance and repairs can help increase your ROI
A well-cared for home may generate a better return on investment (ROI) when it hits the market. And keeping up with regular home maintenance tasks inside and outside can potentially prevent larger issues from arising.
It’s helpful to fix any broken features before selling, too. Not only does this appeal to buyers, but it can make for a smoother home inspection process. Some examples:
- Fixing leaks
- Ensuring the HVAC system is working properly
- Addressing plumbing issues
- Replacing light bulbs
- Swapping out broken or dated appliances
- Touching up chipped paint
Another way home sellers can possibly improve their ROI is through home upgrade projects, like going with a new wall color, renovating the kitchen, trading carpeting for hardwood (or alternative) flooring, choosing new sink hardware, modernizing bathrooms or even finishing a basement. To determine what upgrades might be worth it for your particular home, it’s best to consult a real estate agent.
4. A real estate agent can make all the difference
When navigating the home selling process, it’s best to not go through it alone. Real estate agents bring immense value to the transaction with their expertise, experience, skills and local market knowledge. A trusted professional can assist with staging, suggest value-adding upgrades, set a competitive listing price, expertly market the property, negotiate your behalf and close the deal.
Plus, according to data from the National Association of REALTORS®, homes listed “for sale by owner” – better known as FSBO – typically sell for a lower price than other homes.
Thinking about selling your home this year? Get in touch with a local RE/MAX agent today. RE/MAX agents worldwide sell more real estate than any other brand, and they have the experience needed to get the job done in today’s market.
Article originally appeared on RE/MAX.com.
