Home Makeover: 5 Tips for Preparing Your House for Sale

Are you thinking about selling your home? If so, you might be encouraged by some recent real estate statistics. According to new numbers from the Regional Multiple Listing Service, the average home in Oregon takes just 37 days to sell. That’s two days quicker than homes were selling a year ago.

Of course, market fluctuations are just one of many factors that affect how long your home will be on the market. There are steps you can take to increase the odds of selling, and of getting your asking price.

Check out these tips as you begin preparing your house for sale!

Professional home stagers advise that you take frequent walkthroughs of your home, and try to see it as a stranger would. That can help you gain objectivity, and know where to focus your efforts.

Make certain that your lawn , shrubs, trees, and garden are in tip-top condition. Get rid of any patio furniture that isn’t in pristine condition. Put away toys, garden tools, and any other objects that don’t belong in the yard.

You may want to invest in a new mailbox or house numbers, or even give the front door and garage door a new coat of paint. Remember that buyers’ first impressions start before they even enter your home!

When preparing your house for sale, one of the most important aspects to tackle is your clutter. Some experts recommend eliminating 50% of your belongings! This includes books, the clothing in your closets, furniture, and various knick-knacks. If you don’t want to discard these items entirely, pack them up and put them in storage — this also gives you a head start for when you move!

Potential buyers will want to imagine themselves in your home — and that can be hard to do when there’s a wall covered with family photographs. Put away framed photos and any other decor items that may make it harder for the buyer’s imagination to run.

Personal care items like shampoo, makeup, and toothbrushes should be stashed away whenever there’s an open house or showing. To make things easier on yourself, buy a storage bin that items can be quickly tossed into and hidden away.

What about updates or home improvement projects that will help your home sell? That depends on what your home needs, of course, as well as your budget. One relatively simple, cost-effective project that gives you a lot of bang for your buck is painting.

If your home’s walls are funky colors, repaint them in a nice neutral shade. Even if your walls are all off-white, they’ll look much better if they are freshly painted.

Now that you’ve got excess clutter out of the way, it’s time to thoroughly clean your home. Many sellers opt for a professional cleaning service to ensure that a top-notch job gets done.

Preparing your house for sale can be a daunting undertaking. We hope that these tips have helped! If you’re interested in professional painting or remodeling to further boost your home’s value, get in touch.