When you are putting your home on the market, first impressions are important.
For this reason, it’s crucial to make the exterior and interior as attractive as possible so you can entice buyers to purchase your home.
Potential homebuyers often decide whether or not they like a home before they even enter it, based on curb appeal or how the house looks on the outside when you’re driving by or standing in front of it on the street.
Once buyers get inside, it is crucial that they be able to envision themselves living in your space. To do this, you must focus on these three things:
- Depersonalization
- Decluttering
- Deep cleaning
Look at the property through the eyes of a buyer and think of the house as a commodity that you want to sell for the highest price possible.
While preparing your home, you might overlook some pet peeves that could turn off some homebuyers. These turnoffs could be a deal breaker for prospective clients and they could make you lose out on a good real estate deal.
By following these home-staging tips, you could sell your house faster and for the price you want.
Buyer turnoff: House has poor curb appeal
Solution:
Good curb appeal will impact buyers in a positive way. Make sure that the exterior elements of your home are attractive from a buyer’s perspective.
Create curbside appeal by maintaining a well-manicured lawn and clearing the driveway. Ensure that the walkway leading up to the front door is clean and free from obstacles.
Consider replacing or repainting your door to make it more visually appealing. If you can’t replace your door, you might want to repaint it, refinish it, or replace a plain-looking doorknob with something stylish.
Buyer turnoff: House has cracks and defects
Solution: Seeing cracks, tears, and dents in the home will send up red flags to potential homebuyers.
- Fill any cracks in the walls and replace damaged window panes
- Clean out gutters and fix the roof and ceiling if you see signs of leaks
- Make sure light bulbs are working and replace any that are burnt out
- Turn on all the faucets to check for clogs
- Clear minor clogging with liquid drain cleaners
Small repairs are always worth the time you put into it.
Buyer turnoff: House has a nasty smell
Solution: Eliminate odors by thoroughly cleaning drapes, carpets, and mattresses. Open the windows and let air circulate in the rooms. Let throw pillows and pillows sit in the sun for a few hours to deodorize any smells.
To eradicate odors:
- In a room: Add several drops of essential oils and leave the box open in the room
- From the garbage disposal: Put several lemon wedges inside and run cold water through it.
- In general: Light up vanilla-scented or citrus candles to help mask remaining odors
Buyer turnoff: House has dirty bathrooms
Solution: Bathrooms and kitchens are the top two rooms buyers closely inspect during a showing. Messy and dirty bathrooms might deter buyers from purchasing your home so make an effort to keep them sparkling during viewings. Prospective buyers will assess the style, cleanliness, and space of the bathrooms.
Start out by thoroughly cleaning the drains, corners, and tile grout. Mix baking soda and vinegar and apply the paste using a toothbrush. If the grime and dirty grout won’t come off, try using commercial grout whitener.
To remove residue and lime scale deposits from the showerhead, you can use white vinegar. Place vinegar inside a plastic bag and secure the bag around the showerhead using a twist tie or rubber band. Leave the plastic bag around the showerhead for several hours.
Buyer turnoff: House has dimly lit rooms
Solution: Lighting plays a significant role in making a house appear warm, friendly, and inviting. A poorly lit home is a turnoff to most homebuyers, since darkness can make a house seem small and grimy.
- Open the curtains and blinds to let natural light in
- Trim any tree branches or plants that block light from windows
- Improve visibility by rearranging the furniture and removing heavy curtains
Dark furnishings, flooring and wall colors can also make a room look shadowy even if there is sufficient light inside the house.
- Light colored drapes, bedding, slip covers, and rugs can help brighten the space if you don’t have the heart to repaint dark walls
- Add mirrors to reflect available light and make the area seem larger and more open
- Aim to place at least three sources of light in a room (As much as possible choose LED lights instead of incandescent bulbs; LED lights use less energy and generate less heat)
In summary
Look at the house with a critical eye so you can make changes that will boost your property’s value.
Put yourself in the shoes of the homebuyer and anticipate their concerns so you can sell your house fast.
If you follow these tips for selling your house, you can improve the exterior and interior of your home and possibly add thousands to the value of your property.
If you are interested to know about the average house price in Orange County, CA, get in touch with the Cordova Real Estate Group today at 949.858.0405, or send an email to marianncordova(at)gmail(dotted)com. Let us discuss with you the current situation of the Orange County real estate market.