Forget about sinking money into a major renovation that won’t pay off at the closing table. Here we share the following ten magical ways to make your home more marketable without breaking the bank:
1. Turn your home back into a house
While it is often overlooked, one of the most important first steps before selling your house is de-personalizing it.
The more family photos, collectibles, personal keepsakes, and non-neutral color schemes, the more difficult it will be for potential buyers to see themselves living in your house.
Try to remove at least one-third of your things and put them into storage.
2. Clean and deodorize
It should go without saying, but no one likes a smelly, grimy house. That goes doubly for prospective purchasers.
Don’t rely on the usual cleaning when readying your home for the market.
Consider investing in a professional cleaning crew for your initial cleaning.
Once in order, engage the entire household in keeping the house that way. Do not rely on apparent cover-ups where odors are a problem.
Instead, eliminate the source.
3. Keep pets out of sight
Americans may love their pets, but prospective home buyers are not in love with yours. Keep pets and their gear out of sight.
You don’t want buyers having to dodge a dog food bowl or deal with kitty litter odors. Likewise, remove all pet hair.
4. Give attention to your closets
Face the fact: prospective buyers are going to snoop in your closets. Be sure they are not taking their lives in their hands when they open the door.
Instead, remove about half of your things in closets and throw them away or put them into storage. Neaten up and organize what remains, and your home will appear to have plenty of storage for new owners.
5. Brighten up the kitchen
While real estate is still about location, kitchens are essential as well. If you have money to spend, update countertops if yours are dated.
But if that is still too much for your budget, opt for inexpensive updates like fresh paint, new cabinet hardware, and—if possible—at least one high-end appliance.
This will give your whole kitchen the feel of being updated with expensive appliances without springing for a set.
6. Give rooms purpose
Take a hard look at your house and ensure every room has an obvious purpose. You may have used that spare bedroom as a catch-all area, but prospective buyers won’t see it that way. Instead, convert it to its original purpose so prospective buyers see the living space.
Ensure rooms aren’t crowded and furniture matches a room’s intended use.
7. Remember curb appeal
You have probably heard plenty about curb appeal, but don’t assume you must sink a bunch of dough into professional landscaping.
Make a great first impression with a well-kept lawn and neat bedding plants.
One of the best-kept secrets for improving the exterior is to lay down some fresh mulch, which does wonders to hide landscaping shortcomings.
Be sure the sidewalk and driveway are clean and free of debris.
You may also want to power wash your home’s exterior to knock down cobwebs and brighten brick and siding.
8. Sweat the small stuff
When selling your home, you need to sweat the small stuff. Pay attention to small details that, together, will give a good impression to buyers.
Things like matching towel sets, fresh-cut flowers, new accent pillows, and sparkling faucets will set the stage for buyers to see a well-cared-for home.
9. Grab a paintbrush
If you don’t have the budget to paint your entire interior, at least focus on less costly projects like the trim and heavily-used rooms.
Paint over bright bedroom colors to more neutral tones and touch up areas that need it elsewhere.
10. Let in the sun
Natural light is a huge bonus when selling your home, particularly for daytime showings. Let the sun shine in through sparkling windows that have been newly cleaned.
Be sure sunlight isn’t obscured by dusty drapes or busted blinds.
Getting your house ready to go onto the market can seem costly.
But if you don’t have much money to spend amid your move, you can still do plenty of things to ensure your house shows well.
Concentrating on things like organizing closets, adding a fresh coat of paint, and rearranging furniture can pay off without sinking loads of cash into projects that won’t get you the best return on your investment.