In life and in home sales, first
impressions are everything. Prospective buyers may look at many homes before
deciding which one to buy. Often, the first viewing factors into whether a home
receives a second look.
In preparation for the prospective buyers who will look
at your home, it’s important to put your property’s best face forward with
presale home improvements or, in other words, to “stage” your home for sale.
Exterior Impressions
The very first image that
prospective buyers see is your home’s exterior, so pay attention to the
landscaping. It may be worthwhile to mulch and plant a few new bushes or
flowers in your yard to spruce it up. Keep in mind that as a seller, you want
to show prospective buyers the possibilities your home offers.
You don’t have
to plant a lavish new garden, but some simple, attractive landscaping can allow
potential buyers to imagine what they could put in the outdoor spaces, too.
Also, consider hanging a seasonal wreath on your door and filling planters for
your porches. A little goes a long way in beautifying the exterior of your
home, so be sure not to go overboard.
You should also determine whether
the exterior of your house needs to be repainted in order to sell it. A house
that has peeling paint and bare wood spots may present as a home that has been
neglected, which in turn could lead buyers to wonder what else hasn’t been kept
up. Then, calculate the cost of painting the house. Are you able to paint it
yourself? Or, do you need to hire a crew to do it? Perhaps you don’t need to
repaint the whole building, but a fresh coat on the front door could accent
your home’s attractiveness just enough to create a favorable first impression.
Interior Impressions
For the interior, cleanliness is
essential when it comes to showing your home to prospective buyers. While
buyers may realize that some properties are “fixer-uppers” that will require
some elbow grease, a cluttered, unkempt house tends to discourage buyers from
even considering the property. After seeing any number of prospective homes,
buyers are more likely to eliminate messy or unclean homes up for sale.
In addition to general
housekeeping, a new coat of paint in each room can also help freshen up your
home. While you may prefer walls in espresso brown or deep indigo, your tastes
may not be shared by prospective buyers. In staging your home, you want to
offer a blank canvas to help buyers imagine possibilities. This means painting
the interior in neutral colors. It also means de-accessorizing your home,
especially if your personal taste runs toward the eclectic. Keep your
accessories simple, spare, and tasteful so buyers can envision a living space that
matches their own pictures, lamps, and furniture.
The most common mistake
prospective sellers make is to showcase their personal decorating tastes and
styles to impress potential buyers. Instead, when staging your home for sale,
think Thoreau and “simplify, simplify” by offering the prospective buyer a
blank canvas to draw on.
