Guest Blogger: 6 Must-Do Repairs Before Selling your Home
Are you ready to sell your home but you’re not sure what will make it attractive to buyers? Careful planning and a subtle sprucing-up of your home will help it sell faster and possibly at a higher price. Read on for six quick and easy tips to get your house ready for a sale.
Image via: Reaume Construction & Design
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Fix Leaky Taps
Don’t give potential buyers the idea your house will need a lot of repairs (unless, of course, it does). Go around the house before you show it and make sure no taps are dripping, no vents are malfunctioning and no windows are letting in a draft. Everything in your home should be in working order, without strange sounds or leaks. Don’t forget to check doors too — do they easily swing open?
Re-outfit the Bathroom
Even if you haven’t got the most stylish bathroom in town, you can make a good impression on potential buyers by purchasing new bathroom accessories. Get a new shower curtain and new rods. Match the new curtain to a bathroom rug and get coordinating bath and hand towels for display. Consider changing the curtain rod and toilet seat too, if they’ve seen some wear and tear. Bathrooms are important considerations when a purchaser is looking at a home, so make sure yours is looking its best.
Inspect the Paint
When we live somewhere, we get so used to looking at the walls and floors that we might not notice small imperfections that have developed over time. Go over your interior walls and exterior paint job carefully, searching for dings and scratches. Repair inside dings or cover holes where pictures have hung before with spackling paste and paint. Outside, see if a quick brushstroke or color-coordinated caulking or spackle can cover the damage.
Image via: Cardea Building Co.
Polish the Floors
Clean, polish and shine your floors. If this is difficult for you to do by yourself, it’s worth it to call in professionals to complete the job. Shined floors send a signal to the buyer that you take pride in your house and they should, too. It also helps in reflecting light to brighten a room. In the bathroom, do what you can to shine the tiles and consider touching up the grout if it has darkened or faded from its original color. For the rest of the house, if you have mostly carpeted spaces, schedule a deep carpet shampoo with enough time for it to dry before the house is viewed by buyers. These steps will also improve the house’s smell.
Make it Smell Nice
Our sense of smell triggers memories and sensations — both good and bad. Aim for a positive impression of your home by making sure your house smells pleasant when a potential buyer walks in. Don’t go overboard with chemical smells as that can cause people to wonder what unpleasant odors you’re hiding. Instead, air out the house by opening the windows for a short period of time. Let fresh air come in and remove any staleness. Next, make sure any potential sources of bad smells are minimized — wash your dog, take out the trash and tell everyone to smoke outside. Finally, use essential oils, scented candles or other subtle ways to perfume the house with natural smells.
Image via: Axis Mundi
Change the Light Bulbs
Even if you’re used to your house’s lighting, think of how it will look to someone new. Well-lit houses are more attractive to buyers, so change the interior light bulbs so your house is shown at its highest potential. Dust lampshades (or even buy new ones) and clean windows so all available light is used. When a buyer arrives, open the drapes and blinds so the house feels more welcoming.
About the Author: Ginny Wells is a licensed realtor in Atlanta. She’s been working in the industry for 17 years.
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