Refresh Your Home Before You Sell

A lot of “do it yourself” programs and articles tell you that you get the most return on your home selling price by upgrading your kitchen and bathrooms. This is true, if those upgrades won’t price you out of the market for the location of your home and if you have the money to make that investment. For example, there is no sense in adding a 2nd bathroom in a 2 bedroom home. However adding a 2nd bathroom to 4 bedroom would be more logical.

A better and less expensive alternative would be to fix up what you have. First impressions are very important and you only get one chance to make it. A potential buyer must want to come inside your home. Starting with the yard, do a little landscaping. Plant a tree or some decorative shrubbery. Make sure what plants you have are trimmed and neat and make sure the grass is mowed.

Walk around the house and look up and look down. Do the windows need caulking or repairing? How above the eaves and exterior of the home? Chipped or peeling paint will not pass either a buyer’s or appraiser’s inspection. Pressure washing the mud stained bricks and sidewalks will show the prospective buyer that you care for your home. Don’t forget to clean your gutters from the winter leaves.

Paint or re-stain your front and back door and garage door so it looks brand new. And while you are painting, at least paint the key rooms, master bedroom, kitchen and baths, to refresh the interior. Take one room at a time and use neutral colors throughout. Remove all the switch plates, outlet covers and doorknobs. If they are stained or faded, replace them with new covers.

If your budget will allow, replace your old luan covered interior doors with new six panel colonial style doors. Wash the windows inside and out and show them off by opening the windows and blinds before showing the home to prospective buyers. In the kitchen and bathrooms consider replacing the faucet and get new knobs for the doors and drawer pulls. This might seem pricey at first but it will pay off in the long run.

If your countertops are chipped or damaged you may want to consider replacing them. If your home is a high priced area, granite or similar would be warranted, but a stone patterned style of Formica would probably suffice. Clean and sanitary always wins over luxury.

Think about new light fixtures or clean and replace the glass in the ones you have. Replace light bulbs and always turn on the lights before showing the home. The brighter the better. On the mechanical side, change your air filters. This will not only help with your power bills it will show the buyers that you take care of your home. Make sure the thermostat is modern and that the markings are visible.

Now for the hardest task of all… get rid of the household clutter. Put away keepsakes and souveniers. Pack up photos of grandmother and grandchildren. You will need to pack them up when you move so you can display them in your new home. Toss old magazines and papers.

Make a basket for bathroom toiletries and hide them before a showing. Put unused appliances away after use. Keep your dishwasher empty or at least keep the dishes inside clean.

Empty your closets and leave only what you are currently wearing for the season. A half empty closet makes it look much bigger. Do the same thing for the garage and storage areas. A garage is built for cars, not to store boxes and unused items. Have a yard sale or better yet, donate those unwanted unused items to your favorite charity and spend your time getting your home ready to sell.

The best investment you can make is to allow a real estate professional to sell your home.

At Azalea Real Estate in Grand Bay we can help you market your home to thousands of potential purchasers with our wide network of advertising. Why not take advantage of our years of sales and marketing experience.