How to sell your house. Ideas on which items to fix so your home is appealing to a prospective buyer and ready for the very competitive real estate markets.
First impressions mean everything.
Expect to put a little cash into your home before you get a little cash out of it.
Take a look at your property. What do you see? Step outside, walk around the grounds, analyze it from every angle. Basically, what makes you frown. Mold or mildew spots on the shaded areas along the exterior back wall? Sidewalk cracks and peeling paint near the backdoor? Plain, drab entrance? Gutters filled to capacity with leaves and debris from the last rainstorm? Curbs and sidewalks need to be edged? Mailbox busted up and rusty?
Now, walk around the inside, inspecting every room, every closet, every nook and cranny. More peeling paint? Stained, smelly carpets? Loose carpeting on the stairs? Hand railing loose? Water stain on the ceiling in the entryway? Door knob missing on Johnny's bedroom door?
After you've taken inventory, estimate how much each fix-up job will cost and which you can financially afford. Don't jump into an expensive remodeling job just because the bathroom is quite small. Okay, it's small. Explain to your real estate dealer the plans you had to enlarge it, but that time restraints and cash were a problem. Your plans may light a fire under someone else who could do it once they own the house.
Be realistic. Whatever it is that catches your eye as unslightly, will jump out at a prospective buyer as a total turn-off. You can't, however, fix everything. At the same time, a gallon of paint and a vision go a long way.
Mildew and mold spots on the exterior or inside closets and basements can be removed easily, or covered with a mildew resistant paint, then painted over with the appropriate color. It might sound like a drag, but anything the new homeowner doesn't have to do makes your home more appealing to him.
Sidewalk cracks could present a problem. In the first place, how big are they? If big enough to trip an unsuspecting individual, definitely remove and replace. If there are some holes and/or cracks that could easily be filled, fill them. It will improve the appearance and add to the attraction of the house. In some cases, this fix-it job may bring a better selling price.
Any peeling paint, whether interior or exterior, should be removed and a new coat of paint added. Peeling paint is a turn off, no matter where it is. And, speaking of paint, if your living room is covered in pink, replace it with a more subtle color-preferably some shade of white. You may think of it as mauve, the prospective buyer may come out with a headache from the shocking pink they can't imagine anyone would slap on their walls. Call it a difference of opinion, or lack of vision. Though it's true that nearly every buyer repaints within six months of moving in their new home. There also are stories of how a beautiful home was on the market for six months with plenty of interest, but wasn't purchased until the horrid shade of pink was covered. A little thing like the wrong color on one wall, can change a person's mind. There are lots of houses on the market, make your's one of the most desirable ones.
Carpets that are old and stained, should be replaced. Old faucets, stained wallpaper, broken windows and anything that is chipped or cracked, and inexpensive for you, should be replaced.
After you've fixed what you can, take another look. Do the rooms sent out a signal of total comfort, or serenity, or do they say crowded, cluttered and smelly? If the latter is what you hear, remove some of your belongings. Store them in the basement, garage, or your mom's, but remove them. Take care of clutter. If the cat or dog left their tale-tell aroma behind, get rid of it. Pull the carpet up and leave a blank floor or put in an inexpensive temporary carpet. (If you can afford it. If not, just clean the rug.) Ask your vet for some ideas. Animal smell is the biggest turn-off.
Finally, enhance with flowers. Plant flowers along the sidewalk and house and along property borders. Set out several bouquets inside, as well. If you don't want to invest in flowers that will be left behind, use contained plants, and make it clear they will be going with you when you move.
An hour before your prospective buyer arrives, wash toilets and sinks, and bake something with cinnamon. If you don't have time to bake, put two inches of water on the stove and add a teaspoon or two of cinnamon to boil. Watch it closely, it will boil over rapidly. Then walk through the house carrying the pot. The scent will stay for a while and convey the impression of only good things! Another good way to scent the house is by use of candles. But, again, the smell of vanilla or cinnamon seem to appeal more to the homeowner than flowerly, outdoorsy scents.
