Compliments of Century 21 Regal Realty Inc.
First Impressions
What attracted you to your house when you first bought it? What features excited you the most? Now that you’re selling your home, it’s time to look at it as if you are buying it all over again.
A well-kept, organized house makes a great first impression to potential buyers. The space and feel of a home provides a vision to your buyer. You want them to see their life in your property. The cleaner, more organized and sleek your home looks the greater the chances your property will shine. Minimizing the feel of substantial maintenance is key. Buyers want to feel as though they will encounter few problems when they walk through your property. If you prepare your home with skill and determination, you’ll save time the minute it hits the market.
However, a good first impression is not always about how your house looks. Consider the scent of the home, the feel of the area. You want them to envision their own lives in the space. With a few simple improvements, you will grab the attention of potential buyers and convince them why your house is the right choice.Plan Ahead
A well-constructed plan is crucial. With a notebook, walk through your yard and make a list of things that need attention. Consider what your property looks like to people driving by or walking through your door. What will they like or dislike? What needs fixing, painting, cleaning? What can you improve? Whether you paint your house or renovate the yard, your efforts don't need to be costly; even inexpensive improvements and minor repairs go far toward attracting serious buyers. Remember, those seemingly insignificant problems you've learned to live with can discourage potential buyers. Below you will find ideas for increasing your home's appeal in order to sell it quickly at the best price.
THE INTERIOR
Clean Everything
Buyers expect a spotless house, inside and out. Pay close attention to your windows and windowsills. Scrub walls and floors, tile and ceilings, cupboards and drawers, kitchen and bathrooms. Wash scuff marks from doors and entryways, clean light fixtures and the fireplace. Don't forget the laundry room. Neatly fold and put away your clothes.
Cut the Clutter
Clutter devalues your home and creates a sense of anxiety. Potential buyers are buying your house not your furniture. You want to help them envision their possessions in your home by making your rooms feel large, light, and airy. As you clean, pack away your personal items (pictures, valuables, and collectibles). Store or get rid of surplus books, magazines, videotapes, extra furniture, rugs, blankets, etc. Consider renting a storage unit to eliminate clutter in your garage and attic.
Clearing out your possessions is not an easy task, but removing certain items from your space can pay off in a big way. Additionally, packing away your clutter gets you started on your next move. Keep your garage and basement as tidy as the rest of your house. Simple little tasks such as storing your tools and neatly rolling up your garden hose suggest that you take good care of your house. Don't let anything detract from making your best first impression.
Closets
Clear all closets as much as possible. By storing clothing you wont use soon, you'll make the area look spacious.
Paint
A new coat of paint cleans up your living space and makes it look bright and new. To “enlarge” your rooms: light, neutral colors such as beige or white appeal to the common buyer. It also gives them a chance to visualize their own colours in the space.
Carpet
Check its condition. Replace it if it’s worn or damaged. Again, light, neutral colors, such as beige are best. If the carpet is an issue but you choose not to replace it, suggest a deal on the property. At the very least, have your carpet cleaned.
Repairs and Renovations
Avoid major renovations when selling the house. You’re more likely to lose money. Instead, make minor repairs to items such as leaky faucets, slow drains, torn screens, gutters, loose doorknobs, and broken windows. Be certain that all repairs are well executed; buyers won't take you seriously if your home-improvement efforts look messy, shoddy, or amateurish.
Leaks and Moisture
Water stains on ceilings or in the basement alert buyers to potential problems. Don't try to cosmetically cover up stains caused by leaks. If you've fixed the water problem, repair the damage and disclose in writing to the buyer what repairs were made.
THE EXTERIOR
Curb Appeal
That first visual, high-impact impression your home makes on potential buyers can turn a looker into a buyer. To determine your property's curb appeal, drive through your neighbourhood and note other properties; then approach your own house as if you were a potential buyer. How does it look? Does it "wow" you? Will its curb appeal attract buyers? Note what needs improving, such as trimming trees, planting shrubs, or painting gutters. These things convey that you've cared for your home, and this is your opportunity to sell that important message to buyers who are shopping from the street, simply cruising neighbourhoods just looking for houses for sale. To get them through your door, do what you can to make your property look like someone's dream home.
Paint/Stain
If it’s peeling or blistering and you can't remember the last time you painted it, your house needs some attention. That also goes for stains that are significantly faded. A newly painted or stained exterior will help sell your house faster and increase your home's value.
In the Yard
Grab people's attention by enhancing your yard and landscaping. If your house looks inviting and well groomed from the exterior, people will imagine its interior just as attractive.
• Prune bushes and hedges; trim trees.
• Keep you lawn looking healthy and green by mowing it often, fertilizing it, and keeping it edged and trimmed.
• Clean up and dispose of pet mess.
• Weed your gardens; add fertilizer and mulch; then plant colorful flowers.
• In winter, keep your driveway and sidewalks shoveled, de-iced, and well lit.
• Stack firewood, clean out birdbaths, repair and paint fences.
The Front Door
An attractive entry adds warmth and catches a buyer's eye. Highlight this area of your house with decorative touches, such as a wreath on the door or new shrubs and flowers around the steps. For a grander entry, clean and paint your front door, or replace it with a new one for a few hundred dollars. Don't forget to fix and polish doorknobs and repair torn screens.
Keep yourself organized with the following checklist:
Clean and Maintain
• Windows, sills, and screens
• Walls and floor
• Tile
• Ceilings
• Cupboards and drawers
• Kitchen
• Bathrooms
• Light fixtures
• Ceiling fans
• Carpet and rugs
• Mirrors
• Garage
• Attic
• Basement
• Laundry room
• Yard
• Gutters
• Replace furnace filter
• Dust furniture, TV and computer screens
• Closets
• Remove clutter
• Pack personal items
Repair
• Leaky faucets and plumbing
• Torn screens
• Slow drains
• Gutters
• Loose doorknobs
• Deck boards
• Broken windows
• Electrical fixtures
• Water stain damage
• Broken appliances
• Damaged walls and ceilings
• Worn carpet and rugs
• Damaged sidewalks and steps
Improvements
• Stain or paint deck
• Store tools
• Roll up garden hose
• Paint or stain exterior
• Prune bushes and hedges
• Trim trees
• Mow lawn, fertilize, edge, and trim
• Weed gardens, plant flowers
• Shovel driveways, de-ice
• Stack firewood
• Clean out birdbaths
• Caulk windows and doors
• Repair and paint fences
• Seal asphalt driveway
• Make sure doors close properly
• Enhance entryway
• Replace welcome mat
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