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Now that you’ve decided to put your house on the market, you have to make it presentable and welcoming for potential buyers. Even if your home is already in good condition, a few tweaks and tricks can help make it even more appealing. The idea is to maximize its buying potential. Here are a few tips on how to get your house ready to sell.
1. Paint
Bright colors are fun, but they can turn off many potential buyers due to their loud and distracting nature. It’s a good idea to paint the rooms in your house neutral colors. Think beiges, whites, and greys. An easy way to get your house ready to sell is a subtle color palette change that allows people to focus on the space itself instead of drawing their attention solely to the walls.
2. Keep it simple
You want people to be able to imagine themselves living in your home, so keeping it open and uncluttered is key. Throw a slipcover over your trendy patterned couch or put your eclectic art into storage. Tone down the spaces in your house that reflect your unique style and personality. It’s also best to stash away anything personal, like family pictures or kids’ artwork, when getting your house ready to sell.
3. Lighten up
Brighten up your house by letting natural light come through the windows. That means ditching dark curtains and blinds and adding floor lights and table lamps.
4. Get down to earth
Plants help bring energy and life into a room, and they can also fill in empty spaces or draw attention to features of your home that you want to highlight. Cacti and succulents could be your best bet, because they’re easy to keep alive and will require minimal care while you’re focusing on how to get your house ready to sell.
5. Make little fixes
Now is the time to get around to all of those small things that you’ve been putting off. Fix that leaky faucet, oil up those creaky door hinges, or paint over those scuffs on the wall. Potential buyers will notice these things if you don’t fix them.
6. Organize
Creating space goes hand in hand with creating storage. It’s great to let potential buyers know that your home will have plenty of room for all of their stuff, too. Store away items you don’t need and put the rest into organized boxes with dividers to keep your house (and upcoming move) neat and organized.
7. Create focal points
Think about showing off your home’s best assets when determining how to get your house ready to sell. The trick is to draw the attention of a potential homebuyer to the best parts of any room. Do this by adding a pop of color or a fun accent, like throw pillows on a window seat or some candles on top of a fireplace.
8. Consider curb appeal
When you’re getting your house ready to sell, don’t spend all of your time focusing on the inside; the outside is just as important! A buyer’s first impression of the house is a key moment that can influence their overall perception of the home. Make your place look inviting from the outside by cutting and weeding your grass, trimming your shrubs, and fixing any peeling paint.
9. Bake
A common trick among real estate agents for how to get a house ready to sell is baking fresh cookies. Why? Because it works. The comforting smell reminds potential homebuyers of their childhood home and instantly puts them at ease. If you don’t have time to bake (or if you can’t bake), simply light a candle. Ensuring that your home smells inviting and cozy is a small-but-important detail when you’re showing it to the public.
10. Clean up
Do some deep cleaning before inviting anyone into your home for a showing. Polishing, dusting, washing windows, getting rid of the shoes at your doorway, putting away your stack of unopened mail—these are all things that homeowners can easily overlook, but they can make a big difference to a potential buyer.
