Pro Tips for Home Sellers

With housing prices on the rise, it’s crucial to maintain and increase the value of your own home. The best way to do so is to think like a buyer. From real estate professional Solly Assa, here are several ways to enhance your property’s value before putting it on the market:

To start, you’ll need to showcase your house’s positive features. Offering the lowest price on the block is not enough to make a lasting impression. Of course, having a fully functional, aesthetically-attractive home will get you the best result when you decide to sell. Often renovations can be pricy and hard to achieve in a short frame of time. If you are one of those sellers who’s in a scramble to improve your home, Mr.Assa suggests a few clever tricks that can help you achieve maximum performance with minimum intervention. These smart fixes won't cost you a lot of money, and could help you sell your house at a better price.

The first thing that buyers notice about a home is how it looks externally. When you decide to sell your house, start from the outside. Make buyers feel like they’ve immediately found the ideal home. It takes about a minute to get the first impression, and that first impression is crucial. Small improvements like a new coat of paint on shutters or doors can go a long way. Try planting some flowers and hiring a landscaper for the short duration. Make sure your lawn is trimmed and neat. Be cognizant of patio furniture placement and keep any personal knickknacks in the garage. Statues, banners, gnomes, and any other structures or comedic décor will be most beneficial to the sale if stored in an area off display.

Indoors, proper lighting and a good layout are key in a buyer’s demand. You can’t do much regarding the layout or the number of windows, but you can clear unnecessary items that are causing cluster or obstruction to your living space. Get rid of as much as possible. Remove your old heavy curtains and replace them with light, airy ones. Get new light bulbs and purchase or add lamps if needed. Simplicity is important. Buyers want to be able to picture what their future home will look like without having the image of yours imprinted in their minds. If it looks too much like your old house, it will be hard for them to see the space’s true potential and imagine it as their own.

Paint is one of the simplest, most cost-effective home improvements. Freshly painted rooms look clean, modern and up-to-date. Overly bold shades should be avoided if you don’t want to risk having your house stand out for all the wrong reasons. Before you get started, it’s best to consult with a designer. Nowadays there are also virtual painting programs that can give you a preview. Home Depot and hardware stores often have professionals who can recommend shades and colors based on what you’re looking for.

Lastly, you should certainly consider having a professional come in to check out your home. He/she can offer advice on home improvements and may even discover hidden problems that could negatively impact your house’s value.

Since houses need regular maintenance to keep their amenities up-to-date, it’s recommended you begin fixing and upgrading pieces of your home as soon as you move in. The longer you put off repairs, the more expensive those repairs will be. If you don’t react in time, even the small problems can become big.