Our homes are typically the most expensive items we own, and when it comes to selling your property, Reliable Investment Consulting can help you get top dollar. Some savvy sales tips, like cleaning, staging and decluttering, are simple budget-friendly ways to stage and sell your home and help you get the biggest return on your investment.
With that in mind, it’s vital to consider the little details that will impress potential buyers, perhaps providing you with a bit more leverage. With a few considerations in mind, you can capture photos and plan open houses that make a positive first impression, helping you land a quick sale.
Timely Advice
According to Dave Ramsey, the staging and decluttering process becomes less overwhelming when you stick to a timeline, and it’s smart to begin decluttering immediately. That way, your house will be clutter-free by the time you list it, and it’ll be easier for you to keep it spotless for showings. Pack up anything you can live without, then donate it, trash it, or put it in storage. It’ll not only help with capturing great images and tidying for showings, you’ll have a good head start on packing.
Another staging secret is to keep your closets half-empty. Keeping the contents at a minimum is helpful for two reasons. First, buyers tend to open every door in your home, so you can expect them to see anything you’ve “hidden” in your closet. Second, a clean, organized closet gives buyers the impression that your home has plenty of storage space.
For staging advice (and more), it never hurts to consult with your real estate agent from Reliable Investment Consulting. Your dedicated agent will fully help you understand home-selling tactics and can advise you on ways to make your home more attractive. Tips that are simple budget-friendly ways to stage and sell your home, such as, detailed staging, light repairs and improvements.
Set the Stage
As you begin to prep your home for sale, cleaning from top to bottom should be your next step. You can dig into this yourself or hire an expert cleaning service to make quick work of a deep clean. In addition to having your house cleaned, don’t forget to address cleaning your windows, and having your carpeting or drapes professionally cleaned. Now is probably also a great time to have your furniture cleaned (e.g. sectionals, loveseats, armchairs) if you plan to position pieces for staging.
Keep in mind too that even if you have a gorgeous home, nobody will buy it if they can’t picture themselves living there. That’s why an essential step in selling your home is to depersonalize it. It’s a staging essential, and for the best results, plan on depersonalizing and staging each room.
Staging creates a welcoming atmosphere, making it easier for buyers to imagine their furniture and belongings in each room. It also makes your online photos more attractive, which can potentially bring more traffic to your home showings and — hopefully — boost your sale price.
To reduce costs and get the most out of your efforts, focus your home staging efforts on areas that will bring the best results. Does your house have show stopping curb appeal? If not, mow the lawn and plant some flowers. Do your online photos make a stunning first impression? If not, consider hiring a professional photographer rather than snapping smartphone pictures.
Take Compelling Pitures
Speaking of photography, your online photos help your house stand out against others in your neighborhood. Some research suggests most buyers begin home searches online, where your house is competing with hundreds of other homes.
If you can’t afford a professional photographer, consider renting or borrowing a high-quality camera. Be sure to give your home a deep cleaning and apply your finishing touches before taking photos. And remember, lighting is everything when it comes to photography. If a room feels dim, paint it a lighter shade in anticipation of making the space lighter and brighter. Then when it’s time for your photo shoot, open the curtains and turn on the lamps for a spacious, inviting atmosphere.
As a final tip, no matter how tech-savvy you are, resist the urge to alter your photos. Even if you’re a Photoshop guru, potential buyers will undoubtedly feel misled. If your home looks more appealing online than it does in person, buyers will be disappointed.
Maintain Your Space
All your effort will be for nothing if you don’t stick to a cleaning schedule and have a plan of attack for last-minute showings. When it comes to keeping your house spotless, enlist the entire family and have daily chores where everyone contributes to putting away toys, books, paperwork and clutter, as well as cleaning the bathrooms, kitchen and entryway. You can streamline this process by having a small bin of cleaning supplies handy in several rooms and investing in a cordless vacuum cleaner for quick pickups. Don’t forget to have a plan in place for when you have to be out of the house. Whether it’s a long drive, a few hours at the park, or a trip to grandma’s, have an idea of where to go so you can easily pack up and be scarce.
If you’ve never sold a home before, you might not know where to begin. Luckily, there are several simple, affordable ways to prep your home to sell. By decluttering and depersonalizing your home, your photographs will appear more inviting to potential buyers. With successful staging, your efforts will help buyers picture themselves living in your home. You don’t have to break your budget to sell your house; you just have to pay attention to the details.
Are you ready to put your home on the market? Let the experts at Reliable Investment Consulting help you get the best price for your home, and provide simple budget-friendly ways to stage and sell your home . Call today to get started! 301-823-5800
Walker, Lisa. www.neighborhoodsprout.org
