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1)
Landscaping (free) - Curb appeal is huge to buyers.
It's very important to mow and edge the law, water your lawn, get
rid of the weeds, keep the yard clear of garbage, keep the bushes and
trees trimmed, etc. Think
about how you feel when you drive by a home that has grass as tall as
you are, bushes so overgrown you can't see the windows, etc.
Does it make you feel good? Do
you want to see the inside of the home?
How you feel is probably how a prospective buyer feels when
arriving to look at your home if your landscaping is not maintained.
Also, maintaining your landscaping will help you avoid code
enforcement issues and associated hefty fines.
So, I strongly recommend that you maintain your landscaping or
hire someone to do it for you.
2)
De-cluttering (free) - If you've lived in your home for any amount of
time, you are probably like me and tend to fill in space with personal
stuff (clutter) even if you don't have a need for the personal stuff in
the first place. It's human
nature. But, the clutter
that has filled every possible crevice in your home will hinder a
buyer's ability to see themselves living in the home because they are so
distracted by the clutter and the illusion of minimal storage and
overall space. So, I would
strongly recommend seeing what stuff you've used over the past year and
get rid of the rest by giving it away or holding a yard sale.
Or, you can put it in storage, but that will cost you money.
Ideally, you'll want to minimize the number of family photos on
display so buyers can imagine themselves living in the home.
Also, it's a good idea to minimize the number of pieces of
furniture in any given room and leave only appropriate furniture in
specific rooms, for example don't leave your weight set in the breakfast
nook or don't leave a ping pong table in the formal dining room...you
get my drift.
3)
Cleanliness (free) - When you buy a car, generally are the cars waxed?
Are the windows clean? Are
the interiors vacuumed? Are
the wheels shinny? Do these
things make the car perform better?
Usually not, but do these things entice you to want the car more?
For most of us the answer is yes.
Same applies to a clean house versus dirty house.
You'll want to clean the kitchen and bathrooms thoroughly, vacuum
the house thoroughly, clean the windows, maybe even spend $100 to have
the carpet cleaned...especially if you have animals.
A clean house will go a long way with prospective buyers and it
will minimize distractions when buyers are trying to see themselves
living in the home.
4)
Painting (low cost) - Many families want a home that has the least
number of things to do prior to moving into the home.
Painting a home is a big job for a busy family moving into a new
home and a hassle most buyers want to avoid.
So, if you're able to paint your home yourself, it's a low cost
way to increase your home's mass appeal to prospective buyers if you
chose your paint colors wisely. It's
a good idea to make your home as neutral and consistent as possible from
room to room in terms of paint color to maximize appeal to the widest
range of prospective buyers. I
generally suggest painting the entire interior a light mocha color with
white trim and baseboards. You
should stay away from strong colors like red, bright yellow, lime green,
orange...you get my drift. You
should also stay away from stylized things like wall paper, murals, etc.
5)
Fixtures (low cost) - Brushed nickel fixtures go along way to update the
overall look and increase the appeal of a property, especially if you're
replacing shiny brass fixtures (standard fixtures for most newer homes)
or 1970's fixtures. If
you're able to replace light fixtures and faucets yourself or you have a
good relationship with an affordable contractor, installing inexpensive
brushed nickel light fixtures ($25-$50 each) is an easy way to increase buyer
interest for little cost.
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