Fixing up a house for sale doesn’t have to be rocket science nor does it have to be extremely hard work. It’s really a matter of making it clean and inviting. With those attributes in place, a potential buyer is much more likely to feel comfortable both outside and inside of the house, and a sale is likely to follow naturally from that. The following tips could help put both buyer and seller at ease.
1. The first thing people are going to notice when they pull up to a house is the landscaping. If it’s unattractive in any way, they might stay in their car and keep driving. The goal is to make the front, as well as the back, look new again. This means that the grass needs to be watered and cut regularly, plants need to be trimmed short so they look new, and hard surfaces need to be cleaned with a power-washer. Also, container plants and flowers are not to be underestimated as they can add appeal to nearly any part of a yard. Additionally, fresh mulch in garden beds and around trees will accent the exterior in a natural yet inexpensive way.
2. No one likes a new home to be messy or cluttered. Part of the appeal of something new is the fact that it is usually clean and organized; those attributes always makes a home more appealing. Kitchen counters have to be clean and cleared, books need to be removed from book shelves, and knickknacks need to be packed up and moved away. A rented storage unit could be the perfect place to temporarily store excess baggage, so to speak.
3. Once inside, one of the very first things that a person is going to notice are the walls. It makes sense that this would be the case because walls tend to take up the most space in there. That means cracks need to be patched up and walls need to be painted a neutral color. The idea is for people not to be distracted and alienated by the walls and their color, but instead to see them as part of a background that they can feel comfortable living with.
4. If there’s one kind of room that can most definitely make or break a sale, it would be a bathroom. Because it is one of the most personal of spaces inside, a bad impression there will have a significant impact. There’s nothing worse than going into a bathroom and being greeted by an unspeakable stench. A nasty toilet could induce a gag reflex. A grimy shower can make people all of a sudden not feel so dirty in comparison. A leaky faucet could make people feel like they’d be inheriting structural problems if they go through with the deal. Sinks, showers, toilets, and flooring need to be scrubbed thoroughly with the appropriate cleaning agents, leaky faucets need to be fixed, and clutter needs to be removed. For a bit of extra credit, a large mirror or two placed in the room can add depth and class.
5. Minor repairs are major. Sometimes the little things count more than the big things. That’s because they tend to stick out more when the big things are taken cared of. To handle this aspect, minor structural repairs finally need to be made, walls need to patched and painted, old bed sheets need to be changed, old fixtures need to be cleaned or replaced, and light bulbs need to be changed out, among many other things.
DIY Doctor feature in January’s edition of Self Build & Design magazine, in their Latest News section, telling their readers about our