When you plan to sell your house, you’re breaking into a competitive market where there might be other homes that offer the same features. To stand out among the rest, you have to exert some time and effort to make your house more appealing to prospective buyers.
You have several options when selling a house. You could hire a real estate agent to do your marketing, but it might cost you more money, which means lesser profit. There’s also an option to sell a house by owner. This way, you have control over the selling process and save more money, too.
If you’ve decided to sell your house by yourself, here are some tips to make it more attractive to potential buyers and make an easy sale:
- Declutter Your Space
Clutter is a major turn-off for potential buyers. The excessive mess could make a house look dirty and tiny, which may not be a good selling point. Hence, it’s best to get rid of clutter before selling your home.
If you have nowhere to put your things, you might want to consider renting a storage unit. You could keep your stuff there until you move to another location. If you don’t need any of that clutter anymore, you may also consider donating them or putting them on garage sales.
Open and clean spaces are very inviting since it can make your home feel more spacious. Decluttering is the best way to achieve a spacious and open feel for your house. This may attract more buyers to consider your property.
- Thorough Cleaning
With all the clutter gone, the next thing you need is a thorough cleaning of your house. This is important since most buyers are adamant about having a clean house. They consider cleanliness on top of their checklist. Thus, make sure your house is commendable during house visits.
If you can’t do the cleaning by yourself, you could hire some professionals to do the job. Once the cleaning is done, be sure to keep your house neat as possible. Potential buyers might spring up and knock on your door anytime. Remember that dirty houses aren’t attractive, so keep your home clean.
- Fix Minor Issues
Fixing minor issues is one of the best ways you could do to make your house more attractive and sellable. If you have cracked tiles, torn window screens, or broken doorknobs, this is the best time to fix it. These little details might mean big to potential buyers, so make sure to address these issues.
You could inspect every room in the house to check whether there are things to fix. If possible, make minor repairs on those. But if major issues come out, make sure to call a professional to handle them. Keep in mind that the lesser the problem a house has, the more appealing it is to buyers.
- Apply Neutral Paint
Color preference may vary from person to person. With this in mind, it might be best to repaint your walls with neutral colors to welcome your potential buyers. If you have vibrant-colored walls, you might want to tone it down a little bit. Don’t worry, you could go all wild bright on your next home.
Neutral colors don’t mean to be hospital-looking. If you choose to paint your walls white, you should have color accents to balance them. There are also plenty of color options to choose from. You could consider light earth tones or beige to set a more welcoming vibe.
- Upgrade Your Lighting
Interior lighting could change the whole atmosphere of a house. Replacing old and outdated lighting fixtures could be one of the best decisions you’ll make. Also, keep in mind that buyers nowadays want more modern and minimalist pieces, not something from the 80s.
Another way to upgrade your lighting is by drawing in natural light. You could clean your windows or prune big trees outside. Removing heavy curtains and replacing them with a more translucent one could also help.
Good lighting could also create an illusion of a bigger space, so consider it to attract more potential buyers.
- Handle Pet Issues
If you’ve been living with a pet, there might be stain and odor residue lingering in your house. You should address this issue before you open your house for inspection and visitations. This is important since not all buyers are keen on pets and some may have pet-allergies, too.
- Increase Your Curb Appeal
The first thing your buyers will see when they visit your house is your home’s exterior, which would give them the first impression of your house. This is why you need to do your best to provide more appeal to your house’s exterior.
Here are some ways to add instant appeal to your curb and exterior:
- Mow the lawn
- Add plants
- Clean up debris
- Improve landscape
- Pressure wash the exterior
- Clean your windows
- Clean the gutters
- Fix your fence
- Do Some Roof Repairs
It might not be noticeable at first but roof leaks may turn your buyers away. So, before you put your home in the listing, check your roof first. If it needs major repairs, call a professional to handle it.
Another option is to talk to your buyers about it and negotiate with them for discounts.
- Get Home Inspection
You could hire a home inspector to determine other potential issues that may arise during buyer visitations. Having your home inspected before actually selling it could give you hindsight on where to improve and what to do about some issues.
A well-managed house will look more attractive to prospective buyers.
- Boast About Your Property’s Potential
During buyer visitations, talk about your home’s advantages and potentials. For one, you could create a list of nearby establishments and amenities, such as groceries, parks, restaurants, and public transportation. Promote your home by using this list and highlighting your property’s potential for renovation and reselling.
Takeaway
You could sell your home without the need of a real estate agent. You just have to put time and effort into it.
You could also consider some of the listed ways to make your home more attractive to potential buyers. These tips might help you sell your property in no time.
