If you’re thinking about selling your home, now is definitely the time to do it. With fewer choices on the market, home buyers are desperate for attractive and affordable options.
In order to make your home more attractive to buyers, here are five simple and inexpensive things you can do this weekend to get a jump on the competition.
1. Get a Good Look
Obviously, your front yard is the first thing people see when they drive up to check out your house. A lot of buyers will make a snap decision right there about whether or not they want to see more (it’s called “curb appeal,” and you definitely know what that is if you’ve ever watched HGTV at all).
What to do this weekend: Become the buyer. Walk across the street and stand there for a few minutes taking a good, hard look at your yard. Try to see what a buyer would see. Are there weeds, dead plants or leaves? Get them out of there. Overgrown hedge? Trim it. Got a rusty old basketball hoop that your kids outgrew years ago? Make plans to have it removed.
2. Make Like Picasso & Grab a Brush
Speaking of that whole “curb appeal” thing, a freshly painted front door can set your home apart in a major way. A pop of color really stands out to homebuyers. Just make sure it’s an appealing color. If you’re not sure, ask someone you know (with taste) for a second opinion before you commit.
What to do this weekend: Take a trip around the neighborhood and look at doors. What colors do you like or don’t like? What colors clash? Find a house with colors similar to yours and see what works. Then head to the local paint/hardware store and start looking at color samples. When you’re ready to go, read this DIY how-to guide on painting your door.
3. Take on That Driveway
How many times a day do you think about your driveway? Unless there’s a huge problem with it, none, right? Again, a thing you never notice may be something that home buyers pick up on right away. Like an overgrown or oil-stained driveway.
What to do this weekend: Take a look at your driveway. Are there weeds in the cracks? Get rid of them. If you have oil stains and you’re reluctant to buy a heavy duty cleaner, here is a list of five at-home remedies for removing those stains using products you probably already have in your house (baking soda, Coca-Cola, Dawn detergent, WD40, laundry detergent). If you want something with more oomph, head to the store for some Purple Power (make sure to follow the directions closely).
4. Take a Big Whiff
I’ve written before about how smell can sink your chances of selling your home. Odors that might not stand out to you anymore may totally turn away buyers. Anything from pets to tobacco smoke to garbage to a clogged garbage disposal can give off a scent.
What to do this weekend: Invite over a friend or neighbor and ask them to be completely honest with you about what they smell. You need to find someone who isn’t desensitized to the smell of your house. Try to identify where odors are coming from so you can come up with a plan of attack for eliminating them.
5. Clear the Clutter
If you know for sure you want to sell, there’s no time like the present for clearing stuff out. You love your stuff, of course, but buyers don’t. They want to picture their stuff in that space, and they can’t if your stuff is in the way.
What to do this weekend: Start clearing off your bathroom and kitchen counters. Put what you can into boxes. The stuff you need, keep in a drawer or cabinet. Your counters should be basically empty except for a decorative touch here or there.
If you’d like more tips and advice on how to sell your home, give me a call at (559) 795-7995 any time. I’m happy to talk to you with zero obligation!
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