So you’ve decided to sell your home. Now what? Just when you think the most challenging part was deciding whether to part with your house or not, you realize the journey has just begun.
Selling a house takes a lot of time and effort, especially if you’ve lived in the home for many years. You’ll likely need to find a real estate agent, several home professionals, and an attorney. There will be required title reports, inspections, and haggling with potential buyers. But before you do all that, you need to get your house in order, literally.
You’ll need to get the house in tip-top shape to be shown to potential buyers. Depending on its condition, this may only entail a few minor repairs and a good cleaning. On the other hand, it could mean fully remodeling rooms, getting rid of junk, central cleaning, and painting.
How deep you dive in depends on how much you want to increase your value and how quickly you’re looking to hook a buyer. If you’re not sure what to do or where to start, we’ve got some ideas. This blog will explore eight things your home needs before listing it to be sold.
1. A Gourmet Kitchen
A kitchen is the heart of most homes. Many buyers will make a beeline to this area and decide right then whether they can live in the house or not. So, the first thing you want to consider if the kitchen is outdated is to upgrade to a new one with gourmet elements.
Start the process by contacting a kitchen remodeling service. These home professionals can assess your kitchen and recommend upgrades. Then, get some estimates from kitchen remodeling contractors. Sit down, go over your budget, and decide what exactly you want done. Gourmet kitchen upgrades typically include zoned areas, which means you’ll have specific zones for prepping food, cooking it, cleaning up, serving, and keeping food warm.
The zones are usually set up to streamline the meal-making process. To make your zones as cook-friendly as possible, consider kitchen countertop installation that includes attractive yet easy-to-use (and clean) counters. You may want to add a built-in area for chopping and cutting, like a section of butcher block or bamboo.
Next, it’s time to consider new appliances, especially the stove. Most amateur chefs appreciate professional-grade ovens that run on gas and have a griddle and induction cooktops. A double oven and warming trays are also details many people enjoy.
When choosing a new fridge, look for one with French doors and a pull-out freezer; these details make it much easier to grab ingredients and put things away. Another detail that is attractive to many homebuyers is task lighting. This includes lighting installed under cabinets and pendent lighting in work areas.
A double sink is another attractive addition that many people love. Once you have the functional items in place, consider adding a few practical but fun cosmetic details like open shelving. This adds a personal touch for people to add cookbooks, decorative items, and knick-knacks to the area.
2. A Luxurious Bathroom
After the kitchen, the bathrooms are what most people check out from top to bottom when looking at houses. Bathrooms are essential to a lot of folks. They like to take long ng baths, do their beauty routine, do their hair, and apply makeup in these rooms. So consider those things when deciding what to change.
Before you list your house, consider bathroom remodeling. This doesn’t have to mean a complete gutting project. If your tub is old, start there. Installing a freestanding soaking tub or upscale clawfoot is always a draw to buyers, and there’s no need for shower glass doors that require constant cleaning. A sunken tub with a platform or deck area to place candles, lotions, and other supplies will have them chomping at the bit.
If none of this is in your budget, you can get a custom glass shower enclosure to modernize what you have. Change the lighting and make it conducive to everything people do in the bathroom. A lovely lighted vanity will allow people to see well while shaving and applying makeup. Recessed lighting will take the yellow hue and shine out of the room so everyone gets a realistic look at themselves.
If your toilet is not a newer water-saver version, you may want to replace that, too. New tiles and flooring are a massive plus if you can swing them. A bathroom remodeling company can help you make these changes and will likely give you a deal if you do more than one area.
3. A Finished Basement
With the lifestyles of many modern families, a finished basement is no longer a luxury where you play pool or have a spare television. More people work from home and have older family members live with them. So, underground space becomes a prominent place for an office, extra bedroom, or mother-in-law suite.
It’s a definite home renovation you’ll want to do before selling your home. It’s essential before doing anything else that you do some basement waterproofing. Whether installing French drains, getting a sump pump and backflow prevented, or all of the above. You want to be able to tell potential buyers that your basement is watertight confidently.
After you’ve waterproofed, it’s time to concentrate on the walls, ceiling, and floor; this means choosing materials and deciding how much you want to spend. You may select drywall, an inexpensive drop ceiling, and some linoleum. These materials will give you a nicely framed area without breaking the bank.
Don’t forget to have any electrical wiring, pipes, and air ducts in place before putting up walls. Then it’s just a matter of staging some furniture and decor to make it look nice for potential buyers. You may not want to do too much in this area since you’ll be leaving. Just paint it a neutral color, add a few photos to make it homey, and a few pieces of furniture to give them an idea of what they can do with the space.
4. An Open Concept Living Room
Open concept is the hot new trend in home design. An open-concept living room means the living area is open to other rooms. It’s usually combined with the dining area, family room, and often, the kitchen. For many people, it’s simply a better use of space. An open-concept living area can make a smaller area appear more spacious and provide more natural light.
Though you may want to consider custom window blinds or window shutters to ensure privacy when you want them, it makes traffic flow easier from room to room. There’s no need to worry about moving things around or being careful about carrying huge platters of food through the narrow kitchen door into the dining room. An open concept will make entertaining more accessible and social by allowing people to move around and mingle easily.
One of the main reasons people want an open-concept living room is to have a sense of togetherness and the ability to keep an eye on things. It’s much easier for a parent to prepare dinner and still keep an eye on the kids and help with homework. It’s easier to have family time and multitask with an open concept. For example, someone can get up and get a snack or bake cookies while watching a movie. It may sound insignificant to some, but an open concept can make life easier and more enjoyable.
5. Get Rid of Clutter
You’ll have to do it sooner or later, so there’s no time like the present. Decluttering the house before you sell is critical. First, you don’t necessarily want to share your personal hoard with the world. But more importantly, potential buyers want to see the space in all its open, uncluttered glory.
Having a bunch of stuff lying around makes rooms seem more minor. People will have a difficult time imagining or seeing how their ideas will come to life in the house if they’re overwhelmed with stuff everywhere. This goes for the basement, attic, and garage as well. According to homelight.com, the simple act of decluttering can add up to $8,000 to the value of your house.
An agent will likely want to take photos, so the better your house looks, the more people will be interested. If it’s too overwhelming to do on your own, several companies will do it for you. But your best bet is to rent a dumpster, get some friends, and tackle it alone. This way, you don’t lose anything valuable, and you save money.
6. Do a Deep Cleaning
Most people who have been in a home for over a few years will probably need a deep cleaning before showing their home. It’s not insulting your housekeeping skills; it’s more about making it sparkly and fresh, paying attention to things you might not notice or aren’t a big deal; cleaning may be a massive point for some buyers. You want to put your best foot forward, so having finger smudges on the walls or dust bunnies under the couch can be a turn-off for some buyers.
If it’s in your budget, consider hiring a cleaning service. Many companies specialize in cleaning homes preparing to be sold, so they’ll know just what needs to be done. If you’d instead do it yourself, remember these tips and often forgotten spots. Wipe down ceiling fans and light fixtures, shampoo carpets, clean the appliances, wipe down walls and doors, clean baseboards, and vacuum the furniture and nooks and crannies if you have pets. Whatever you do, don’t forget to clean all the bathrooms!
7. Spruce Up the Details
You’ve probably gone to someone’s house and noticed some ridiculous detail. The house could be immaculate and decorated beautifully, but just one little thing is skewed, and we are there to see it. Take inventory of the details like paint, hardware, fixtures, lamp shades, and positioning of furniture.
If you have pets, hide the bowls and litter boxes. If your drapes are old or tattered, replace them. Get some new shades or blinds for the kitchen and bathrooms. Do away with as many personal items as you can. People have a difficult time picturing themselves in a house when there’s another family imprinted everywhere.
8. Improve the Curb Appeal
The first thing potential homebuyers will see is the outside of the house. No matter what the inside looks like, if they pull up on an exterior mess, they may keep going. Curb appeal is essential, so making the outside presentable is vital to selling a home.
If there’s a driveway that’s falling apart, have it repaved. Check out the roof and make sure it’s in good shape. A roof inspection will typically be done anyway, so it is best to head off any issues.
Ensure the steps and railing in front of the house are in good condition. The last thing you want is for people to grab a loose railing or notice chunks of concrete missing. Pay at ten for the details like light fixtures and mailboxes. If they’re not up-to-date, consider placing them.
Finally, a little bit of landscaping goes a long way. Hire a landscaper to come in and plant a few lovely bushes and shrubs. Buy a few flower plants and a pot around the front.
Ask them to lay some mulch to cut down on weeds and present a uniformed appearance. This all improves the aesthetics of the house. Have the landscaper come regularly to ensure the upkeep of the grass and outdoor area.
Selling a home can be an exhausting process. Before listing it, inventory everything that needs repairing or replacing. Set a budget and choose the most affordable items to make the biggest impression on buyers. Contact home professionals to help you. Completing even a few items from this list can go a long way in helping sell your home fast and for top dollar.
