Preparing Your House for Sale
2/17/2020By Realopoly staff
Before you decide to put your house up for sale, it may be a good idea to consider making some changes and improvements to it. Here are the tips to make your house sell for more money:

Paint, fix, and renovate (if needed)
 Painting the house before sale
 
Painting is actually the quickest and most effective way to spruce up your home, plus it gives you the best return on the money you spend on it. A fresh coat of paint will make your house look clean and inviting. Remember to paint in neutral colors though. Keep in mind that your goal is to appeal to most people's tastes, and not necessarily to suit your own taste. Since first impression counts, painting your front door (and the mailbox) will make a good impression on the buyers coming to see your home. It's also highly recommended to also repair or replace any broken door knobs, leaky faucets, noisy bathroom fans, as well as broker light bulbs.
 
As for renovations, the items that buyers pay a lot of attention to include kitchen and bathrooms. If your kitchen is in a good shape, but your appliances scream 1990's then perhaps it's time to invest in a new stove or dishwasher. Upgrading kitchen counter tops from a formica to granite may also be in order. Depending on a size of your counter top, the job may cost around $1,000-$2,000. Bathroom renovations can be costly, but sometimes a new shower curtain, plus a new set of towels, can do the trick.

Your flooring may be another area for improvement. If you have carpeting that's worn out or stained, then it may be a good idea to invest in either new carpet, or upgrade to wood flooring. Laminate or engineered wood panels are quick and easy to install, and fairly inexpensive. 
 
Make your house bright
Dining and living room
 
Make sure your home has plenty of light. Rooms that are bright are more inviting, so invest in proper lighting and open your window curtains or shades. If your window curtains are heavy, and block a lot of natural light, then consider replacing them with a lighter type.
 
Make your furniture fit the space well
staged living room 
 
Perhaps it's time to get rid of your old recliner? Bulky or oversized furniture can make your house look smaller to potential buyers. Consider removing or replacing some of the furnishings in your house.
 
Put away personal items
 Wall of pictures
 
Buyers need to visualize themselves in your home, and thus the need to get rid of anything that seems personal such as your photos, children's artwork, and art/decorations that may be drawing the buyer's attention away from your house. Unless you live in a hunting lodge, taxidermy items will not impress most buyers.
 
Organize your closets
Organized closet space
 
 

Storage space is one of the critical factors put into consideration by home buyers. It’s thus necessary to ensure the closets are not filled to a maximum as buyers can assume you don’t have enough storage space. To make your stuff look a bit organized, you can think of investing in boxes, dividers, and any other solution that will help you to achieve this. Keep your household items in order of their importance, and this will allow you to store the less used items further away from the areas that are visible to the buyers.

Get rid of bad odors
Cat litter box 
 

Keep the little box away from your house, and remember to spray air neutralizer across your home. Once that is done, fill your home with welcoming smells by putting out fresh flowers.

 
Enhance your landscape
House curb appeal
 

A well-maintained home lawn can give home buyers a good impression about your home in the first place leading to the sale of the house. It thus essential to clear the bushes, mow the lawn, plant flowers, and weed the garden as it gives buyers a good first impression whenever they get into your home.

For more specific tips that could help increase the value (and appeal) of your house consider contacting a real estate professional in your local area.