It’s fair to say that real estate is definitely a seller’s market right now. Research suggests that the United States has about 4.5 million fewer homes available than what’s necessary to meet the needs of all individuals and families. Meanwhile, many of the homes that are available are being snapped up by private equity firms intent on converting those residences to profitable short-term rentals. Those factors help to drive up the cost of what’s available.
If you have a home for sale in 2024, you’re in a great position because you’re almost guaranteed to earn significantly more than what you paid for it. That doesn’t mean, though, that you can’t get even more money with just a little effort – and the effort is very worthwhile because the potential return could amount to tens of thousands of dollars if you do the work to make your home just a little more presentable.
Is your home on the market or about to go on the market? These are the cheapest things you can do to ensure that you’ll get the most possible money for it.
One of the most important points to understand about selling your home is that people don’t want to see your things in that space – they want to picture their own things there. You want to make it easy for a potential buyer to build up a mental picture of what their life would look like in the home. If they can’t picture themselves living there, they won’t want to buy the home – it’s as simple as that.
You want to create the perception that your home is spacious and has plenty of room for a potential buyer’s things. To do that, you need to get the clutter out. That’s not easy to do if you’re still living in your home while offering it for sale, but it’s doable if you rent a storage space for your excess possessions. Identify the things that you don’t need immediate access to and move them to a storage facility while your house is on the market. This is an easy way to create the perception of roominess, and it’ll also reduce the amount of work required when you move into your new home.
You’ll also need to give your home a thorough cleaning before you put it on the market – and if you’re trying to get the most possible money for the home, you’ll want to do the work yourself. Here’s a simple roadmap for making sure that your house will be spic and span for potential buyers.
If you smoke, stop smoking in your house immediately because people will reduce their offers by as much as 29 percent if your home smells like smoke. You can either decide that you’ll only smoke outside, or you can pick up some non-stinky vapes instead.
Vacuum and dust every surface – including the hard-to reach areas in your closets and behind furniture and appliances.
Steam clean the carpets and furniture.
Give hard floors a coat of gloss.
Wash the walls and ceilings with warm water and mild detergent. Add vinegar to the cleaning solution if you have ever smoked in the home.
Clean the windows with a glass cleaner.
Clean the home’s exterior. Wash the windows. Clean the roof and gutters. Use a pressure washer on outdoor fixtures such as the driveway, porch and walking paths.
If your house looks worn or dingy, applying a new coat of paint is the fastest way to make it look newer and less weathered. Although it’s easiest to hire a crew to do this work for you, painting your home’s interior and exterior is definitely something that you can do yourself if you’re willing to do the work and want to keep your selling expenses as low as they can be. Most experts agree that neutral colors like white and gray are most likely to appeal to prospective home buyers.
Have you ever smoked in your home? Painting the interior walls after cleaning them is a great way to prevent an unpleasant smell from dissuading potential buyers. Use odor-encapsulating paint, which creates an airtight acrylic layer that seals bad smells away and prevents them from escaping into the air.
Once you’ve finished giving your home a thorough cleaning, you’ll probably begin to notice little eyesores here and there – things that you’ve been putting off fixing or replacing for years. We can guarantee that potential buyers will notice them as well, so now is the time for a little elbow grease and a trip to your local home improvement store. Here are just a few examples of little fixes and upgrades that can make a huge difference in how your home might look to a buyer.
Replace sagging or torn window screens.
Replace or fix wobbling ceiling fans.
Replace dirty or unattractive doorknobs, cabinet hardware, outlet covers and switch panel covers.
Replace dripping faucets and other plumbing fixtures.
Repair or replace cracked windows and mirrors.
Repair cracks in your driveway and any walkways.
Apply new stain to old cabinetry and other wooden fixtures.
Check your attic and/or basement for leaks and fix them.
Remove stains in your carpets or replace the carpets entirely. This may also be an opportunity to update your home’s look by replacing old carpets with new hardwood or laminate flooring.
Although it’s true that you’re selling your house and not your yard, it’s still important to keep curb appeal in mind because people won’t see the inside of your home until they’ve already seen the outside. Mow the lawn and use a weed trimmer to create an attractive border between the grass and the curb. If your lawn doesn’t have many plants to add visual interest, it might be a good idea to visit your local home improvement store and grab a few small shrubs or bushes that are native to your local area. Plant them around the exterior of your house to add instant eye appeal.
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