Before selling your home online or on the open market, you need to make sure that it is as appealing as possible for prospective buyers. Fixing up a property before selling it comes with a fine balance. On the one hand, you want to make your home as appealing as possible to maximise your pool of prospective buyers and sell for the highest asking price possible. On the other hand, you do not want to invest lots of money into fixing up a house that you are no longer going to live in.
Therefore, before undertaking any large-scale renovations or quick fixes, you need to consider carefully what is really adding value to your home. Here we share the top 5 things to fix before putting your house on the market.
Top Things to Fix When Selling Your Home
1. Fresh Paint
One of the cheapest and most effective things you can do before selling your home is by adding a fresh lick of paint. This does not need to be an expensive or hugely professional job, but a fresh coat of paint will give your home a new lease of life and give the impression of a large-scale renovation without the price tag. You also do not need to paint every room – only the ones that are in need of a bit of a makeover. Any rooms with chipped or dirty paint should be retouched.
When painting your home, think about the colours you are choosing as this can have a huge impact on the ability to sell. For example, opt for light and neutral colours in order to maximise your buyer pool; steer clear of bright colours or patterns that may deter potential buyers. The more neutral your colour scheme, the easier it will be for potential buyers to imagine themselves living in the home.
More often than not, wallpaper is thought to age a property as it is now a very old-fashioned feature to have. Increase your chances of sale by removing the wallpaper before you go to sell. When it comes to getting a property valuation, the valuers will look at everything, from structural considerations to the overall condition of the interior and much more besides.
2. Home Exterior
First impressions count and this is no truer than when speaking about prospective buyers. The exterior will be the first thing that buyers see, including any front garden, driveway, front porch or the exterior of the building itself. If the property is not in good condition from the outside, you may well find the value is reduced as it will hold less appeal.
Simple actions you can take can include decluttering your front garden, removing any weeds, mowing your lawn, cleaning your driveway, or repainting the outside of your house. You can also add value by planting some flowers or placing an ornament to make the front garden more attractive and increase your curb appeal.
One of the key things that potential buyers notice about your home’s exterior is the roof. If you have moss growing on the roof or missing roof tiles, these are things you should fix now rather than later. A roof in less-than-perfect condition signifies a great deal of maintenance costs for potential buyers which could put them off buying your property. Additionally, if there is any damage to your pipes or siding, this should be taken care of before putting your property on the market.
3. Enhance Natural Light
The lighting of a house can make or break a property sale, with the majority of prospective buyers seeking out good natural light. Strategically placed lighting can give the perception of more space in your home which can be a real selling point when showing potential buyers around your property.
It can be difficult to create natural light from nowhere, especially if the structure of your house does not lend itself to receiving lots of light. However, there are many affordable lighting options that can help bring light to the darker spots and maximise the illusion of space.
Maximise what natural light you do have by opting for lighter curtains rather than heavy drapes so that the sunlight can filter through. You can also place mirrors opposite windows to reflect any natural light coming in.
4. Invest in Your Kitchen or Bathroom
It is not necessary to spend a great deal of money on a full renovation of your home in order to sell and particularly in cases where you want to sell a house fast, you will likely take a hit on the value to get the sale completed sooner. Therefore, you should, in these cases, only invest in your property in the areas that absolutely need fixing and need attention.
However, there is plenty of research to suggest that if you are going to invest your money anywhere, the key areas to focus on are the kitchen and bathroom – these two rooms are the ones which make the most difference when it comes to return on investment on property sales.
Your kitchen is the hub of the home and acts as not only a key area for cooking, but also sets the tone of the house when it comes to socialising or entertaining. You can make minor changes which can have a big impact, without the large price tag. For example, changing the countertops, paint or lighting are all factors which could make your kitchen more appealing. Additionally, updating the cabinet finishing can have a huge difference and give the impression of a brand new kitchen.
You can also upgrade your fixtures to add an element of style and make the kitchen look more expensive. If you are selling the home with appliances included, you need to ensure that these all function well and are assets rather than liabilities.
Bathrooms can also have a huge impact on whether or not a property sells. The key elements here are cleanliness and functionality. For example, if there are any repairs needed, these should be addressed as soon as possible.
When it comes to cleanliness, simple actions such as cleaning the grout or replacing any chipped or missing tiles can go a long way to make your bathroom seem better. You can also make sure to rid your bathroom of any old wallpaper or grubby looking surfaces. The cleaner the bathroom seems, the more appealing it will be to prospective buyers.
5. Check Functionality
It may seem obvious but before putting your house on the market, you will need to ensure that everything works as expected. Anything in need of repair will deter buyers as they will see it as an additional cost for them to incur – this applies to small scale functions, such as doorknobs, to larger-scale items such as a garage door. You should have this ready before the home inspection and valuation as this is where the majority of home sales fall through.
Most Important Things to Fix
The above, we consider, some of the most important factors all prospective home buyers should consider and then implement. However, also decluttering, and checking what items need fixing before selling are also just as important. Find out here how to fix your house up beforehand to ensure a quick sale.
