Selling your home is a serious decision, and one often fraught with uncertainty. You may know that you want to sell quickly, but you also need to get top dollar for the property. Usually, that means you need to do a few things to get your house ready to sell.
Luckily, some of the most impactful things you can do don’t take a lot of time and only a moderate investment. If you’re wondering how to get your house ready to sell in 30 days, give these five steps a try.
1. Update Your Paint to get Your House Ready to Sell
Paint can do wonders for rooms. You can use colors to make a space feel larger or cozier, or even to express your personality.
But, if you’re getting ready to sell, then you want to paint each room and focus on a neutral palette. If you select lighter hues, you can generally make a room feel larger. And, by choosing a trendy neutral, you can offer what buyers are hoping to find.
2. Enhance Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is critical. After all, the first impression your home makes is from the outside, not the interior.
Take some time to maintain your lawn and manicure your plants properly. If you have trees, have an arborist come buy and whip them into shape. You also want to remove any weeds from the property.
To take it up a notch, consider adding some flowering plants near the entryway to add color. Also, make sure to pressure wash walkways and patios to spruce them up.
3. Handle Small Repairs
If you want to sell your house fast, then now is not the time to put off small repairs. Things like dripping faucets, loose railings, and missing knobs are going to be noticed by buyers, so you want to get them taken care of before you list your property.
4. Declutter
While you may love your knickknacks and tchotchkes, buyers may only see it as clutter. Unnecessary items can cover surfaces and even make spaces feel smaller. The best approach is to remove as much as possible, including everything from figurines to family photos to excess clothes in your closets.
You want to create a feeling of space, so make sure every item has room to breathe and that it serves a purpose. Otherwise, move it to a storage unit until you relocate to a new home.
5. Do a Deep Clean
A clean house is automatically more appealing to buyers than a dirty one. That means you need to grab some gloves, a scrub brush, and get to work. This helps makes it easier to get your house ready to sell.
And don’t just clean your everyday surfaces. You also need to look in every nook and cranny a buyer may examine. For example, under the toilet tank, on top of your cabinets, and high shelves in your closets all need a wipe down.
If there’s a chance someone will see it, clean it. It’s worth the effort.
Have you ever sold your house? How did you get your house ready to sell? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.
If you’re ready for more great home-related articles, give these a try:
- How Much Will Your House Cost to Fix?
- Do You Tip House Painters?
- How to Renovate a House to Get a Better Price
Tamila McDonald has worked as a Financial Advisor for the military for past 13 years. She has taught Personal Financial classes on every subject from credit, to life insurance, as well as all other aspects of financial management. Mrs. McDonald is an AFCPE Accredited Financial Counselor and has helped her clients to meet their short-term and long-term financial goals.