The real estate market is still going strong as we enter the summer months. With house prices remaining strong and demand steady, it is a great time to list your home, if you’re thinking about selling. Hence, below is a guide we put together to help you get your home sold fast and stand out above the rest!
1. Storage
While personal items such as a family photos, personal artwork, and small appliances make for a comfortable home, it’s best to remember that future owners want to envision their own belongings in your home. Therefore, one of the best ways you can help your future homeowner see your house as their home, is to remove your personal belongings. One of the best ways is to rent a storage. For a small cost, companies like Clutter offer on demand storage solutions for a low monthly fee. Clutter will pick up your items, catalogue them, store them, and return what you need without you having to do it yourself. The best part about this, is that you can get a jump start on packing, while removing a few items that take up space. Not sure what to put away, take a tour through a local new model home and see what is missing. This will give you a little inspiration as to what makes sense to leave and what should be packed away.
2. Staging
Speaking of model homes, home staging can make a big difference when showing to potential buyers. This will create a uniform and styled look while providing an opportunity to showcase each unique room. Many home staging companies exist, with new options for furniture rental such as Burrow and Feather. For a small monthly fee, you can rent furniture from many leading brands, keeping things simple and fresh.
3. Paint
Painting is one of the fastest ways to freshen up a home. While your preference may be for bold unique palettes, its best to use neutral tones when attracting home buyers. These lighter shades not only make a space feel larger, but they provide a soft backdrop to home staging. According to Clare Paint, “In general, the lighter a paint color — think: crisp whites, creams, and pale greys — the more it’s going to reflect the room’s natural light, so whatever light there is, enhance it.” Clare is a new paint brand from HGTV interior designer Nicole Gibbons that aims to help you make stylish decisions that are perfect for your home. With different paints for ceilings, walls, and trim, you can ensure that you have chosen the right type for each specific finish to look its best. They even created a guide for choosing paint colors based on the orientation of your room to light. https://www.clare.com/blog/interiors/best-paint-colors-for-every-type-of-light.
4. Curb Appeal
You can’t underestimate the strength of a first impression. Curb appeal is one of the top priorities for any home, but many homeowners fear overspending and not reaping the returns. However, there are simple strategies that are cost effective and certain to boost value. Painting your front door and shutters is the first step to allow your home to stand out. Choose a strong contrasting color that will grab attention. Pressure wash any siding and stucco to remove dirt and webs and paint any wood surfaces that have faded or chipped. Grass can be easily over seeded for a lush green and adding pops of annual flowers near doors and windows are great added appeal. Tree trimming is always a good option to raise up the crown and provide extra light through the branching structures. Finally, don’t forget the power of outdoor fixtures. Check any fixtures that are old or look stressed and replace with a simple elegant fixture for final touches.
5. Lighting
While it may seem simple, bad lighting and good lighting truly make a home stand on its own. Look for fixtures in bathrooms that need to be replaced and ensure lightbulbs are all providing the same brightness. Finally make sure that windows are clean so that light can filter easily through the glass.
6. Housekeeping
Whether you have a regular housecleaner or you do it yourself, its always best to get a little extra help before putting your home on the market. Services like Task Rabbit and Handy are great platforms for hiring housecleaners and other service providers. Tasks such as cleaning blinds and windows, grout in tile, carpets, and kitchen cabinets are good to have done by professionals who often have special tools and unique shortcuts for these deeper cleaning tasks. Finally, its always good to make small repairs such as caulking around bathtubs and replacing weather stripping. These platforms provide a great way to complete these small tasks quickly and affordably.
7. Take Amazing Photos
While your iPhone comes with a great camera, its no comparison to a professional camera and lens or good photographer. Kitsplit is a service for renting camera equipment and is an inexpensive way for taking high quality immersive photos. If you’re not up to doing it yourself, professional photographers can be found on platforms like Thumbtack. Make sure you work with a photographer like Lawrence Anderson who regularly shoots Architecture and Real Estate. Finally, if you have a large home or property, try using a drone for added value.
8. Offer An Extra
This is an often overlooked tip that can provide great value for your buyer. Do you have appliances with a home warranty that you can transfer? How about transferring subscriptions for your security system or gardening service? If you sell in the middle or end of the year, paying for these services for the remainder of the year and transferring ownership to the new buyer are great ways to provide a little extra value for a very small cost.
9. Art
Renting art has become easier and easier and is a great way to add sophistication to any home. Startups like RiseArt are making this process painless.
10. Video
Virtual Reality and Augmented reality have been rising in popularity for their ability to help users visualize spaces. Platforms like SendReality are great ways for a seller to provide a buyer with this immersive experience. The platform works by stitching together photos of your interior spaces and creating a virtual walk through that is simple and quick. This is a great way for reaching many more potential buyers and providing a quick preview without the extra effort for showings.
11. Smart Home Features
The smallest upgrades can be one of the biggest differences in standing out. Smart home products such as the Nest Thermostat, Smartvent, Ring Doorbell, Smartlock or Rachio Sprinkler Timer can be great additions to your home and provide a great way to show your home is ahead of the curve. Adding these features can create a great platform for buyers, especially new home buyers, to be one step ahead in controlling the different areas of their home efficiently.
Now we’d like to hear from you!
What are some of the strategies that have worked for you or you will be implementing to sell your home?
Let us know below!