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Selling your home can be a tricky business. Even those with the most beautiful homes often have trouble finding the perfect buyers. You don’t have to break the bank or renovate the entire house. Chris Carter of Long & Foster Real Estate shares his five best tips for preparing your home for sale. (See his “Lunch with” column on page 16.)
1 - Declutterizing
A simple but powerful tip, Carter recommends decluttering every room in your home. Potential buyers want to picture themselves in the home, which can be hard to do if there are toys and other “stuff” scattered everywhere. Put items away in closets or your basement or attic. Extra tip: Consider trading out those personal family photos for artwork to help potential buyers see themselves living there.
2 - Modernization
There are many simple things you can do to make it seem like new. Some things can be updated easily, like drawer pulls, cabinet hardware and light fixtures. Carter adds that replacing items with modern pieces makes it seem like it’s been renovated (even if it hasn’t), which is appealing to buyers so potential home improvements don’t seem overwhelming on the first walk-through.
3 - Paint
You don’t have to repaint your whole home to make it feel like new. For example, the bathroom is a great place to touch up spots, especially when condensation makes paint crack in the ceiling or corners. Touch up any other cracks or freshen up the trim with a quick coat that doesn’t take an entire weekend to finish.
4 - Trusting your agent
Real estate agents are trained to do the research and crunch the numbers. “If we give you a suggested list price, don’t add $10,000 to it and get upset if it doesn’t sell in the first week!” Carter says.
5 - Curb Appeal
Carter says this is important because you want people to fall in love before they even walk up to the front door. Put the trash bins away, rake up those leaves and branches, wash the colored chalk off your sidewalks and, if you don’t already have them, add a welcome mat and maybe a beautiful wreath to your front door. A little bit of work inside can seem much more manageable if they can already picture themselves living there. An inviting yard and clean landscape will help the potential buyers’ visions come to life.
Not interested in an agent? Reconsider if you’re looking for faster results. Carter believes “For Sale By Owner” can be tough for homeowners looking to sell, as many potential buyers are represented by an agent. Because real estate agents use the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), those selling without an agent are actually reducing your market to buyers without agents, creating a smaller pool of potential resale value.
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