June 20, 2019

Simple Ways to Prepare Your Home Before Selling

Prepping your home before putting it on the market can seem like a daunting task, as there are a million and one little tasks that seem to spring up and need to be addressed. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of simple, affordable ways that you can easily ensure that you’re doing your part to maximize your home’s market appeal.

Deep Clean & Regular Home Maintenance

Let’s start with the most obvious (and least expensive) first. Deep clean your home to make sure that it’s in the best possible condition. Go room by room, create two lists of the jobs that need doing – one cleaning, one basic repairs – so that everything is covered, then repeat the circuit and begin crossing off your list. Making your home clean and pristine is great way to help maximize its value without investing significant money, and if time is an issue, the jobs can be performed cheaply and efficiently by a HeyBryan Expert Handymen or Cleaner. 

Declutter

Another inexpensive (you could even end up making some money) way to help boost your home’s appeal is to take the opportunity to rid yourself of unwanted and unused items that have built up over time. You can donate these items to a good cause, have a yard sale, or for larger items, have them removed by a HeyBryan Expert. No buyer is looking for something cramped and, to put it simply, the less objects you have in your house, the more apparent the space is. Prospective buyers will also be able to imagine how they would shape the space, which will add to its appeal.

Get Painting

Simple painting and decorating can have a big impact on your home’s appeal. Refreshing tired, peeling or chipped walls and fixtures will make rooms look clean and updated. Also, colour choices count, and while you may prefer more vibrant hues, light, neutral choices such as white, beige or cream will appeal to most people overall. These shades also help to present your property as a blank canvas for potential buyers to better visualize the property in their own way. Whether doing it yourself or hiring a professional, giving needy surfaces a fresh coat is a great way to increase your homes market appeal without significant initial financial outlay on your part.

Update Your Kitchen

Apart from being a space to cook and store food, the kitchen is the social hub of the household, and is therefore likely to be highly scrutinized by potential buyers. Make sure that cupboards and countertops look modern and updated by adding a fresh coat of paint or by sanding and varnishing. Also, consider investing in energy efficient appliances such as Energy Star Certified fridges, induction cooktops and convection ovens, all of which, apart from helping you do your part for the environment, have shown to have an instant impact on a property’s appeal. 

Increase Your Home’s ‘Curb Appeal’

Your home’s curb appeal, or, how it appears from the street, plays a big part in attracting potential buyers. Many Realtors believe that people make an initial decision of interest in a house in the first seven seconds, which means how they feel walking up and into a house play a key role when selling. Simple steps, such as making sure the front of your home is tidy, any greenery is well manicured, doors are freshly painted or polished and windows are clean. You can also consider adding low cost features such pot plants and external lights. 

Flooring

What’s underfoot can greatly enhance your home’s appeal in the eyes of prospective buyers. Tired carpets and grubby tiles can all take away from your homes appeal and value, so consider cleaning or replacing where necessary. Similarly, lifeless hardwood floors can be brought back to former glory with professional sanding and polishing. As with the categories above, ROI on such upgrades can exponentially exceed the initial outlay when you put your property on the market.

Give Your Garden Some TLC 

Similar to the inside your property, simple maintenance of your external spaces can help maximize value when selling. Mowing the lawn, weeding, and pruning flowers, hedges and bushes are all jobs that can be done cheaply by yourself or a professional. In addition, pressure washing patios, decking and external walls will help get them looking in top shape. 

Whether you are actively planning on selling your home or just considering your options, these simple tasks can add value to your home through resale or just by improving your quality of life, so why not have walk through your house today and see what you might like to update.

When it comes to prepping your home to sell, it’s important to maximize the time and effort you invest. One of the easiest and most efficient ways to do this is by hiring trusted, vetted, people to do the work that you don’t have the time, skills or desire to do yourself. That’s why HeyBryan is here – to provide the Experts to help complete those small, nagging tasks around the home. 

All our Experts are HeyBryan Approved, meaning they come fully vetted by Bryan Baeumler’s team and complete with ratings and reviews of past work so you know you’re always getting the right person for the job.