So, you’ve just taken the job offer of your dreams, and you’re all set to move cities and start the next chapter of your life. The one thing stopping you? Selling your house. Between packing, wrapping things up with work, and enrolling the kids in their new schools, it might seem like there’s no time to even think about renovation for resale. So where do you begin?

4 Easy Changes to Prep Your Home for Resale

These four simple steps for freshening up your home can help you secure an offer without investing tons of time and money, so you can focus on life in your new home. 

Prepare your home for resale this season

Image via: Home Ideas

1. Improve your Curb Appeal

While the interior of your house is where your potential buyers fall in love, the exterior has to give the right first impression. Real estate professionals say that the quickest ways to boost your curb appeal are to clean, lighten, and refresh your décor. Replant your flowerbeds with bright, seasonal flowers to draw the eye to the door – which you can give a breezy facelift with a fresh coat of colorful paint and a few new address numbers. Hire a pressure washer to clear the front walk and patio. If you don’t already have outdoor lighting installed in your landscape, you can buy some solar-powered fixtures for a quick install, with no power cords or batteries required. 

2. Neutralize Colors Throughout your Home

Painting an entire house is a full-time job that can take weeks to accomplish. When you’re trying to do all of the other preparations that selling a house involves, a full repaint might feel overwhelming, but you’ll be amazed what a huge difference it can make in the overall appearance of your home. The key to painting for a resell is to find the most neutral color scheme possible. So while you might enjoy bright colors and vibrant hues, they’re particular from person to person, and you might risk a potential buyer who isn’t feeling it. Go for a light beige and khaki tones for a warm, light-filled, and neutral décor that feels calm and welcoming. It’s universally appealing, and one of the easiest ways to increase your home’s aesthetic value without major renovations.

Use neutral colors throughout your home to appeal to buyers

Image via: Designer Threads

3. Organize your Home Before Buyers Come

Cleanliness and order are a homeowner’s dream. While you may not live up to it in everyday life, your home should promise buyers that the potential is there. It can be as simple as keeping clutter off the floor, like children’s toys, clothes, and packing boxes, but it applies to the overall organization of the home as well. As Realtor.com highlights, Each room in your home should have a purpose – even if you have to make one up. Everything should be intentional, from the pictures hung on the walls to layout of your furniture. And, as always, keep it clean!

Organize your home to optimize storage

Image via: Pottery Barn

4. Bring in Lighting that is Welcoming

It’s pointless to have bright colors and clean rooms if they aren’t lit well enough to see them. While natural light is always wonderful, not every old home is blessed with the windows to provide it. If opening all your blinds still isn’t doing the trick, try putting in a few fresh light fixtures from a neutral and flattering designer. They’ll appeal to virtually any buyer, and they’ll make your space seem larger, brighter, and happier than before.

Every home is different, and every home requires different work to bring it to the forefront of a buyer’s attention. But these four keys are a good baseline to get you started. As long as the house is clean, bright, and welcoming, buyers are sure to see the value, and you’ll have an offer to buy in no time.