Ways to Help Your Home Sell Fast

Buyers can look at a dozen or more houses and the one that finally captures their attention is the one they feel a connection with. It's all about emotion – the buyer's, not yours. To help your home stand out and sell faster than the competition, you need to create a space they will fall in love with. Here are some ways you can do that.

Curb Appeal

Begin with sprucing up the inside. Here are some ideas to get you started.

• Clean up first. Cut, trim, weed, and remove clutter.
• Remove extra bushes, trees, flowers, etc. that detract from the landscaping rather than enhancing it.
• Apply fresh mulch to your flower beds to give them a well-maintained look.
• Power-wash your house, the driveway, walkway, and deck or patio.
• Paint the front door.
• Buy a welcome mat and other decorative items for your porch or front entry.
• Placed potted flowers or plants by your front door.
• Clean windows.
• Make sure house numbers are easy to read from the street.

If your house looks dated, consider painting the exterior. While this can be quite a job, it can make the biggest impact.

The Inside Matters, Too

If buyers drive by the house and like the first impression, they will probably want to come inside. As the seller, you have to stop looking at your home as the place you live and begin to see it as a product that you are selling. Here are some tips to help you do that.

• Make sure the lights work, the doorbell works, and nothing squeaks or creaks.
• Pick up clutter and personal items.
• Keep closets clean and organized even if it means packing some of your stuff away. You want to give the impression that you have plenty of storage, not that you have to use every square inch to fit everything in.

Look at Every Room

• Go through every room to see if you have too much furniture or pieces that look old or outdated. Move anything out that makes the room feel awkward or small.
• Clean carpets or have them replaced.
• Clean or refinish wood floors.
• Clean or paint ceilings and walls.
• Paint if you do not have neutral colors on the walls.
• Have blinds and curtains open during the day.
• Leave plenty of lights on if your house is being shown at night. Use larger-watt bulbs to make a room feel brighter and bigger.
• Get rid of pet odors.
• Clean off counters, shelves, and tables to make a room look more spacious.

Update Areas Where Needed

A house that you have been in a long time often has that lived-in look. Buyers want to feel that the place they are buying is brand new. Here are some ways you can make your house feel like new.

• Update hardware.
• Paint kitchen and bathroom cabinets.
• Buy a new shower curtain.
• Replace caulk and clean the grout.
• Don't forget the garage and other "hidden" areas. Nothing is secret during a showing.

If you want to get a feel for how a house should look, visit some other homes for sale during open houses. It may help you see your home in a new light and get it ready to sell fast. If you are ready to start selling your home, give me a call at 517-853-6259 or send an email to rbuffington@tomieraines.com.