There’s a lot of preparation and planning involved when it comes to selling a house. Maybe you’ve been wanting to sell for a while because you need a bigger house for your family, or it’s been a quick decision because you got a new job in a different state. Either way, there are lots of things you can do to speed up the selling process and move into a new home as quickly as possible
Here are seven key things you can do:
Spring Clean
Before anything else, you should give your house a good and thorough clean. This can be a dealbreaker when wanting to sell a house fast. There’s nothing worse than inspecting a place and finding it to be dirty. Sometimes, a place might seem clean until you have a good look between pieces of furniture and inside the oven. So, when you clean, make sure you really clean. Get into every nook and cranny. Don’t hold back. There shouldn’t be a speck of dust anywhere.
Some general cleaning to do is:
- Vacuuming
- Mopping
- Dusting
- Cleaning the bathroom
Areas that need in-depth cleaning include:
- The windows—inside and out
- The curtains
- Air vents
- Fans
- Behind the fridge or any other big appliances or furniture
If you don’t have the time or the patience to do some cleaning, you can always hire a professional cleaning service provider.
Enhance The Exterior
They say not to judge a book by its cover, but people are likely to judge your house by its exterior. So, don’t forget about it. You might want to put some new plants in the garden, or if you won’t be able to take the plants with you, plant them in pots. Some fresh flowers can add pops of colors to any garden that might be looking a little sad.
You can also give the outside walls of your house a clean. Clear the cobwebs off and have it be the sparkling house on the street. This could be helped by cleaning up anything that’s left on your front lawn. Don’t forget about the back yard either.
Declutter
Get a head start on the packing process and make your house look better by decluttering. Over time, everyone tends to accumulate things they don’t need or no longer use. If they’re in good condition, you might like to donate them to a local charity or give them to a friend. It’ll make the house look more spacious and allow any prospective buyers to be able to see how much space your house has.
Some things you can declutter are:
- Clothes
- Books
- Kitchenware
- Tech gadgets
- Toys
You will most likely feel refreshed and recharged once you’ve decluttered, and you’ll have less belongings to pack up and move with you.
Rearrange The Space
Now is the best time to try a new furniture arrangement in your loungeroom or bedroom. See what looks good. It might make the space looker bigger, which is a massive bonus. You might even like to feng-shui the area to increase its energy flow. If the new arrangement isn’t the most functional for living, but makes the space look good, that’s perfectly okay. When rearranging, you may also want to put away any personal items, such as photos or your children’s art, to help prospective buyers imagine their belongings in the space.
Do Any Maintenance
You want your house to be in tiptop shape when it comes time to sell. If there are some things that are broken or not working to the best of their abilities, then you might get less for the house than you originally hoped. So, now is the time to finally repair that dodgy drawer in the kitchen or fix that squeaky door. If you don’t have a list of maintenance to do just yet, then take a walk around the house and check that everything works properly. Check things like doors, drawers, windows, taps, sinks, showers, toilets, and lights. If you’re unable to fix something, like a light, because it’s electrical, then call someone to help.
Paint The House
A fresh coat of paint can do absolute wonders to a house. It can make it look newer and more modern. It’s also one of the cheaper ways to update your hose. If you do decide to paint, it might be a good idea to go with neutral colors and tones, like whites and greys, rather than a bright orange. Neutral colors are more likely to appeal to potential buyers because they’ll be able to imagine their furniture and décor in the space. Colored or patterned walls may appeal to some, but not all. To make it look like a professional job, ensure you know of the equipment and techniques to use, from painting with a roller to choosing the right paint.
Get It Smelling Good
One of the first things people will notice when walking into your house is the smell, and you don’t want them thinking it smells bad. If you have pets inside, there’s a chance there’ll be a lingering smell. So, open the windows to let fresh air in and bad smells out. Perhaps, try and keep your pets outside, or dedicate a few rooms they can go in, to prevent the smell from being in the whole house. You might like to light some candles or an oil diffuser to bring fresh scents into the space. If you want the prospective buyers to feel relaxed, then go for lavender scents, and if you want them feeling energized, then try the citrusy ones.
Summing Up
Whether you follow all of these tips or just a few, it will help to prepare both yourself and your house for an upcoming sale. If you don’t have much time or budget, decluttering, rearranging and cleaning are your go-tos. Otherwise, painting the walls and doing some repairs will make your house shine. These should help lessen the time your house is on the market and increase its attractiveness to prospective buyers.