Sellers

So you’ve decided to sell your house. First off, congratulations on making the first step!

Now it’s time to get the house into shape to sell. You don’t need to worry about the paperwork, marketing, and making the closing negotiations, that’s what your real estate agent is there for. Let the professionals at The Cameron Team, do their job and focus on doing your best to make your house the kind of home people will want to buy. Everyone knows the obvious steps like cleaning and making sure repairs are done but there are lots of little things that can make or break a sale.

Let’s start off with a concept you’re probably familiar with: curb appeal. You only get one chance to make a first impression and that impression starts forming as soon as prospective buyers pull up to the curb. How do you improve your home’s curb appeal? Well, the obvious first step is mowing the lawn and making sure there are no weeds poking up between the cracks in the sidewalk or driveway.

Touch up the paint on the house if it needs it and make sure there are no obvious and glaring damages. Some not-so-obvious things, however, are the mailbox, windows, the front door itself, the doormat, and house numbers. An old rusty mailbox can make the house look shoddy before a buyer ever gets out of their car and dingy windows will only further that perception. The front door itself builds up a layer of oils, dirt, and grime over years of use and contact with people’s hands, so give it a good washing, touch up the paint, and make sure the door isn’t sagging in the frame.

Invest in a new, clean door mat, as it’s an inexpensive investment that makes the home feel cleaner right from the start. Lastly, old and worn down house numbers can make the house look like it’s in disrepair and neglected, whether it is or not, and can be replaced at your local hardware store for minimal cost. If you have the time, also consider planting some inexpensive perennial flowers to add some color and life to your lawn and porch.

Now that you’ve maximized your curb appeal, let’s venture inside the house and see what we can find. You’ve cleaned, removed the clutter, and fixed all the obvious damages, what more can you do? Well, much like with the curb appeal tips, there are tiny details that can make or break a sale on the inside too. Windows were mentioned before, as dingy windows don’t let in much light and make the house feel darker, dirtier, and cramped.

People won’t always notice if you washed the windows, but they’ll definitely notice if you don’t, so roll up your sleeves and make them invisible! Another thing people don’t consciously register is the baseboards along the floor. These are often neglected in cleaning just because people forget about them and most people aren’t going to actually look at them, but the subconscious eye will notice if they’re grungy and it will throw the whole room off kilter. They won’t know why the room feels dirty, just that it does and that’s all that matters.

On that same note, light switch plates and outlet plates can yellow over time and wear down, creating the same unconscious problem as the baseboards. It may seem trivial, but the devil is in the details, so they say, so take one of the plates with you down to your local hardware store and get some replacements. They’re inexpensive and easy to swap out.

Learn more about what it takes to get your home sold! Contact Jeff Cameron with the Cameron Team today! Find out what your home is worth!