Getting ready to sell your home? Before you start letting visitors in, consider dressing it up for the occasion! Here are some tips you can use to improve your chances of closing the sale.
Declutter
Pare down your décor—remove any non-essential object or piece of furniture in every room of the house. You want buyers to see the full potential of your home! For example, they should be able to tell at a glance whether their bed and dressers will fit into the master bedroom.
Repair
Dripping faucets, creaky doors, a leaky toilet, damaged walls… All those little details may seem trivial to you, but they can really catch a buyer’s eye and turn them away. Before putting your house on the market, go over every room with a fine-toothed comb and fix every minor defect you can find.
Depersonalize
Have the years turned the wall of your stairwell into a family museum? You’ll need to swap your family portraits for something a bit more neutral. Is your living room full of hunting trophies? You should probably relocate them out of sight. Whatever their tastes and interests, buyers need to be able to picture themselves living in your house. The more neutral the setting, the better!
Clean and tidy up
During visits, you’ll have buyers sticking their noses everywhere in your house. That means it’s time for some thorough cleaning, from top to bottom! Kitchen and bathroom cabinets, closets, the pantry, walk-ins—empty everything out, sort through the contents, wash every surface and then replace whatever survived the culling.
Update
Have some of your colours or wallpapers aged badly? Before opening your house to potential buyers, consider bringing your walls up to date. Ideally, you’d use lighter paints and coverings. A neutral canvas is best for letting people picture their own décor! Take a look at our selection of elegant wall and ceiling panels here: http://www.murdesign.ca/en-CA/products. If your furniture is outdated or faded and doesn’t do your home justice, you could rent some more current furniture while you’re looking for a buyer. Several companies offer this service.
Light things up
Once you’ve checked off all the previous steps, remember to light up your rooms by adding a few extra light fixtures in each one. When people are visiting, open your blinds or curtains wide to let the daylight in. A bright house is much more appealing and gives a better first impression. Think about it!