Most homes sit on the market for two months before someone gets around to buying them. What if you can’t wait that long? There are a few simple ways of preparing your home for sale that’ll help it go faster, and we’ve put together this guide to show you what steps you need to take to get there.
Keep reading below to learn how to get that house off your hands without all the delay.
Depersonalize Every Room
When a buyer tours your home, they’re envisioning what their life would look like if they lived in the house. Seeing pictures of your children hanging in the living room makes it hard for them to do this, though.
Spend some time depersonalizing every room. Take down or put away things like:
- Family photos
- Unique wallpaper
- Collections
- Sports memorabilia
- Religious decor
- Children’s artwork
- Etc.
Replace these things with stock art and houseplants. A home stager can help give you some ideas so your home keeps a welcoming charm without feeling too bare.
Get Rid of the Clutter
Nothing will turn off potential buyers like clutter. If your home is full of boxes, personal items, or stacks of toys in the corners, they’ll have a hard time looking past these things and seeing the actual space.
Get as much clutter out of your house as possible before you put it on the market.
Go through every nook and cranny and put your items in one of three stacks: trash, donate, or keep. While you shouldn’t force yourself to get rid of things you love, you should push yourself to give up things you don’t use anymore or don’t really need.
When you’re done, don’t make the mistake of throwing everything you keep back in the closets. Buyers are looking for storage, so you should do your best to keep the closets empty to highlight the space.
Instead, consider renting a storage unit. This will give you a place to keep your belongings short term, which will make your home feel bigger and cleaner.
Make Simple Repairs
Have you been meaning to fix that flickering lightbulb? Leaky faucet? Sticky doorknob?
Spruce up your home by making all these simple repairs you’ve been putting off the last few months. If a buyer sees a bunch of dents or scratches on your wall, they might start worrying there are more problems behind the surface they can’t see. You don’t want a buyer to say no to your home, even if it’s in perfect condition, just because of a faulty light switch.
Give your home a fresh coat of paint and stick to natural colors. You might love your purple accent wall, but it can be a distraction for buyers.
These quick renovations will not only attract more buyers, but they will also allow you to make more money during the sale.
Let in the Natural Light
Lighting plays a big part in how buyers will see your home. If you haven’t updated your light fixtures to LED alternatives, start unscrewing those bulbs!
Light that is too dim or yellow will make your home feel dark and small.
Open the windows and let in as much natural light as possible. This, plus the updated LED bulbs, will make the rooms feel brighter, cozier, and bigger.
Fill Your House With a Pleasant Scent
No one wants to move into a home that smells bad. And just because your home smells fine to you doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a not-so-pleasant scent to other people.
Your first thought might be to bake a batch of cookies. However, while some people enjoy that small, it might not sit well with others. Try to introduce a more neutral scent instead.
A few good options include:
- Vanilla
- Herbs
- Citrus
- Cedar
- Etc.
You can use things like candles or oil plug-ins to get the desired smell. Just make sure you set these up in advance to completely mask any other scents.
Clean Everything… Then Do It Again
Before you let any buyers into your house, it needs to be cleaner than you’ve ever seen it. Make sure you dust or scrub every spot in your house, including out-of-the-way areas like the tops of doorframes and behind appliances.
Dirty spots aren’t only unappealing, they can give buyers a distorted image of your home. When they think back on it, all they’ll see is the mold growing along the base of the tub.
If you don’t have enough time to do this yourself, you might want to hire a professional cleaning company. Because after you tidy the house up, you have to keep it looking that way until it sells.
Hire a Professional Stager
One of the best ways to sell your home faster is to work with a professional stager. They know what buyers want to see, and they’ll help you decorate your home in a way that highlights the important features of your home. Even better, they’ll take care of all the hard work for you, meaning you get the benefits of a fast sale without having to do the hustle yourself.
Don’t Overlook Your Curb Appeal
The first thing buyers see when they pull up to your home is the exterior. If the lawn is overgrown and the porch is full of dead potted plants, they might not even bother getting out of the car.
As one of the steps before selling your home, make sure you do some gardening. Do you seem to kill every plant you touch? Talk to a professional landscaper to come up with a plan for your yard.
Preparing Your Home for Sale: How to Sell as Fast as Possible
While preparing your home for sale can help it sell faster (and get you more money during the purchase), it takes time. Depending on your circumstances, you might not be able to wait for a fresh coat of paint to dry.
Need your house to sell fast?
List it for sale as-is instead. Our team at Lisa Buys Austin Houses will take a look at your home and give you a fair offer right away. Don’t hesitate to get started today!