Six ways to make buyers go wild when they see your home.
Curb appeal and home decor can have a big effect on potential homebuyers.
If you’re planning to sell your place, consider “staging” it — prepare and showcase your property for sale.
From major renovations to relatively minor decorating tweaks, sprucing up your property before you list it just may help you sell it quicker.
Whether you have no spending limit ― or need to stage on a shoestring budget ― here are six tips that may just help you set the scene:
- Improve your exterior: Having a weed-free yard, neatly trimmed lawn, clean gutters, siding and brick and a freshly painted door shows buyers you’re a diligent homeowner who likely took good care of your home. Consider a simple welcome mat and flower pot or two for your porch or deck and if you have a fence, make sure it’s in good shape. If gardening and landscape maintenance isn’t really your thing, consider hiring a professional to help you out.
- Don’t showcase an unfurnished home: Selling an empty house or condo can be difficult. If you move before listing your home, you can rent furniture but that can be pricey. Another option is using a virtual staging company that adds furnishings to photos of your empty rooms. The service won’t fix major flaws or make your place look like oceanfront property but for a few hundred dollars, furnished photos can help your online listing look better.
- Clean and declutter: A dirty, cluttered home is one of the fastest ways to deter buyers. Clear out as much of your belongings as you can, aside from furnishings that will enhance the ambiance of the house. If you’re not ready to move your things into a new home, you can rent a storage locker or container. You might also want to consider repainting rooms that need it and having carpets and drapes professionally cleaned. It might be a good investment to hire a professional cleaner to give the entire house a good scrub. And don’t just shove everything into closets and drawers, because buyers will look there too.
- Don’t make it personal: You should take a step back and have the mindset that this is no longer your home but an investment in your future. With that in mind depersonalize your home by putting away family photos and other personal items so that buyers can focus on envisioning themselves in your home and not your personal things.
- Amp up your lighting: Brighten up the inside of your home and try to include overhead, accent, pendant, cabinet or reading lights in each room. Think about replacing old light fixtures with new, modern ones. You can also add table lamps and floor lamps to brighten up rooms.
- Carefully position your couch and chairs: Group furniture into arrangements that would be ideal for conversation and hanging out, instead of pushing it up against the walls.
Depending on your home’s age and condition, your renovation and repair needs may exceed the above list. However, even small upgrades can help make your property look like a better value to buyers.
To learn more about how a BMO Mortgage Specialist can help you with your home financing needs, visit bmo.com/mortgagespecialist.
