Five Ways to Make Your Home More Attractive to Buyers
If you are selling your home, there’s a good chance you’re also buying a home. You may even have started looking at houses. As a seller, this gives you an excellent opportunity to put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and pay attention to how you assess your potential new home.
Every buyer goes through the process of searching for and viewing many homes, carefully critiquing each one and eventually getting that one “This is it!” feeling. There may be a lot of properties out there, so how do you make your home more attractive to buyers?
Maximize open space
Take a look at your living area. Are chairs, tables and sofas very close together? Is there enough room to walk around and through the space? You may be able to maximize your square footage by rearranging the furniture or even removing a few pieces.
Let in the light
Go ahead and open shades and curtains and let the sun do the rest. If you have a room that doesn’t get much light, strategically place mirrors to reflect the windows to help brighten up a space. If you have an unattractive view out of any of the windows, consider buying inexpensive slatted blinds that allow light in while minimizing the view.
Curate personal items
A lot of professionals tell you to remove your knick-knacks and photos. While no one wants to step over your collection of hand-woven baskets or feel like they’re walking into a doll museum, some family photos might help buyers envision their own family living there.
Clean the bathroom
Think of how you feel when you walk into someone’s cluttered, untidy bathroom. It can be uncomfortable or even a huge turn-off. Clean off the counters, hang fresh towels, wash or replace a dinghy shower curtain and put all personal care items away. It’s hard for a buyer to envision herself getting ready in the morning when surrounded by someone else’s mess.
Lastly, go away
If you’re living in your home while you’re selling, make sure to set appointments at times when you can be out of the house. You may think you’re helping to sell your home by accompanying potential buyers on their walk-through and showcasing all your personal touches – you’re not. Let the buyers have their space; they want the opportunity to critique what they see because that means they have ideas for the home. Don’t take it personally! The ideas mean they see the home’s potential.
When you see your home through a buyer’s eyes, it helps you maximize its appeal. And that means a quicker sale at an attractive price. So, it’s worth the time and thought to make a few changes to boost your home’s sale value.
