10 Low Cost Ways To Add Thousands To Your Sale Price
- Buyers love light and bright homes. Add high intensity light bulbs and be sure to clean all light shades and covers.
- Buyers love clean homes. Do a thorough cleaning, no matter what the season. Give special attention to the following areas: windows, screens, counter tops, appliance tops, mirrors, ovens, sinks, toilets, and tub/shower walls. Hire a cleaner if necessary. It’s worth it.
- Buyers love clean windows and freshly laundered curtains and drapes. Blinds too.
- Buyers love freshly cleaned carpeted and shiny floors. Replace or repair damaged areas of the floor or floor covering. Replace with neutral new material (carpet, tile, vinyl) if cleaning isn’t going to fix the problem.
- Buyers love big spacious rooms. Arrange your furniture and decorations to improve each room. Remove any unnecessary items or items that don’t fit in. Hire a designer or a stager for a consultation, if necessary. Again, it’s worth it.
- Buyers love colors that will blend with their décor and furnishings. Consider brightening things up with a fresh coat of paint. Think along the white / off-white spectrum (column, linen, Grand Teton white, Swiss coffee, etc.). These colors make rooms look bigger and brighter and are most likely to go with the new buyer’s furnishings.
- Buyers love closet and cabinet space. Neatly arrange everything in your closets, cabinets, and other storage areas including the basement, attic, and garage. Get rid of all necessary items.
- Buyers pay attention to tiny details. Fix all of the “little things”—loose doorknobs, leaky faucets, sticky windows, clean and repair caulk lines. To sell at top dollar, I strongly advice my clients to get have a pre-emptive property inspection. When buyers see little things that haven’t been fixed, they assume there are other repairs they haven’t yet noticed.
- Buyers smell your home. It’s a strong memory. What are they going to remember? You want them to remember clean and fresh. Warm up some cookies or bread, but stay away from incense air fresheners or scented candles.
- Buyers aren’t buying your personal property. Move collections into storage or into a storage unit. You’re putting yourself in the mindset of moving anyway. Go ahead and get started.
By requesting a pre-listing consulation, we can work on these items together. I have helpers, handymen, landscapers, decorators, and contractors whom I can recommend, so please don’t be shy about asking. If you do not want to do anything, that’s fine too. I’ve had a lot of sellers who sell their property “as-is”. Sometimes that’s the best strategy.
Let’s determine the correct plan of action for you.