Selling your home can be both an exciting and challenging experience. In the excitement of a move, it’s easy to decide just to list your property as is with the hopes of selling as soon as possible. However, with a few strategic moves, you can ensure a fast and easy selling process while maximizing your returns. In this guide, we’ll explore some top tips to help you prepare and upgrade your home for a successful sale.

First Impressions Matter

It’s said you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and this is especially true in the world of real estate. When a potential buyer pulls up to your property for the first time, they are wondering if this is a place they can see themselves coming home to every night. Curb appeal is crucial and sets the stage for the home inside, so invest time and effort in enhancing the exterior of your property.

Consider touching up the paint to give your home a fresh look, especially around doors and windows. Spruce up your landscaping and ensure your grass is trimmed and orderly throughout the showing process. One major downfall to curb appeal is damaged, stained, or cracked concrete in the driveway, walkway, or front entryway and patio. Lifetime Green Coatings’ top-notch exterior coatings provide the perfect cost-effective upgrade by not only enhancing aesthetics but also correcting and preventing damage. Remember, the charm of your interior might be overshadowed if the outside doesn’t sparkle.

Best Upgrades for Curb Appeal

• Exterior paint
• Trimmed grass
• Fresh mulch
• New protective driveway and concrete coating
• Clean windows

Prioritize Cost-Effective Improvements

While improvements can add value, be cautious not to overdo it. Major projects might not yield a full return on investment and often new buyers rip out the painstaking renovations anyway in favor of their own designs and style.

Changes that make the most impact are often found in the kitchen and bathrooms, where new countertops, refinished cabinets, and even one splurge-worthy high-end appliance can boost your listing price. Other effective projects include installing protective floor coatings in your garage and/or basement.

Lifetime Green Coatings offers innovative eco-friendly and non-toxic floor coatings that are built to last. With proven experience withstanding high-impact traffic in apartment complexes, industrial plants, and heavy-duty oil tankers, our coatings offer superior protection against daily wear and tear, cracking and shifting of the concrete below, and chemical damage. Our eco-friendly and non-toxic formula is an epoxy alternative that contains zero VOCs, ensuring the health and safety of your family and the family looking to purchase your home. With our coatings, you’re not just upping the style of your garage or basement, you’re adding quality protection to your home.

For easy DIY upgrades, focus on mostly aesthetic changes. A fresh coat of paint goes a long way, especially if your walls are bright, vibrant colors that may not be everyone’s cup of tea. New door handles and cabinet hardware do a lot of heavy lifting with minimal cost and installation effort. Additionally, be sure to attend to leaky faucets and clean dirty grout.

Bang-For-Your-Buck Upgrades

• Install a new garage door
• Update your cabinets and doors with new handles and hardware
• Give your walls a fresh coat of paint
• Check all plumbing fixtures as if you are the potential buyer looking for leaks
• Restore and protect your garage or basement floors with Lifetime Green Coatings’ eco-friendly and non-toxic floor coatings
• Employ a housecleaner to do a deep clean

Provide a Blank Canvas

Remember, potential buyers are not searching for your home; they’re looking for their home. Opt for neutral colors that allow buyers to project their style onto the space. Decluttering is key – put personal items like family photos and trinkets into storage. Another trick of seasoned sellers is to empty half of all of your closets to allow potential buyers to envision where they would store their belongings should they buy your house. Finally, consider splurging for a home stager, a professional who can help arrange your furniture to showcase your home’s potential and floor plan.

“Move This” Checklist

• Family photos
• Memorabilia and collections
• Pet belongings (toys, litter boxes, food bowls, etc.)
• Dated curtains or other fixtures

Take Good Pictures

In the digital age, the first time a potential buyer sees your property is likely through an online listing. Being strategic about how you capture your home on film can help generate more interest from online viewers and set your home apart from the competition. High-quality photos also signal a high-value property.

It’s best to photograph your home during the summer months when greenery and natural light are abundant. Invest in top-notch photos, and if possible, hire a professional photographer.

Tips for Taking Photos

• Take pictures in the summer when foliage is abundant
• Complete your exterior upgrades prior to photos (ex. Trimming grass, coating driveway, touching up paint)
• Use “golden hour,” the short period of time just after sunrise or before sunset where the natural lighting is redder and softer than during the middle of the day
• Use a professional photographer who knows how to capture your home’s best features
• Don’t take pictures of every nook and cranny – leave your potential buyer interested in touring your property in person to see more!
• Consider a 3D walkthrough virtual tour or virtual staging

Be Flexible with Showings

Flexibility is a seller’s secret weapon. Buyers are often juggling multiple property viewings, and a rigid 24-hour notice period may lead them to skip your house altogether. Keep your home tidy and presentable at all times so that last-minute showings are never a hassle. This flexibility can significantly contribute to a quicker sale.

Keep Your Home Showcase Ready

• Trim grass regularly while showing
• Have a housekeeper come once a week or twice a month to clean
• Tidy up after children and pets regularly
• Keep essentials in a “go bag” to be out the door within 15 minutes once you get a call from your realtor that someone wants to view your property

Ultimately, preparing your home for sale involves a combination of visual appeal, strategic upgrades, and flexibility. By creating a positive first impression, making smart upgrades, presenting a neutral canvas, capturing appealing photos, and being open to showings, you can streamline the selling process. With these tips, you’re well on your way to achieving a swift and successful home sale. Good luck!