It’s not a secret that selling your home takes a lot of time and effort. There’s a lot that goes into getting your home listed, showing it, and signing those final papers. It’s never an easy process and sometimes it’s tempting to cut corners because you just want to cut down on the stress and get your home sold as quickly as possible.
While it’s understandable to want to rush through the process, it’s not the best idea to start cutting corners. There are things you should be doing before you sell your home to make it more marketable and appealing to anyone who might be interested in buying it. You want your home to show well or it may end up sitting unsold for quite a while.
Before you get too ahead of yourself take a moment and ask yourself; “Who is going to buy my house, and how are they going to see everything?” There are things you’ve likely gotten used to seeing in your home that a new set of eyes is going to see as a project they have to take on. Here are five important renovations you should finish before you sell your home.
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1. Fix What’s Broken Or Rundown First
If a potential buyer sees small imperfections like a window screen that’s torn or a door with a hole in it, they’re going to wonder what else has been neglected in your home. There could be perfectly reasonable explanations for why your home has those minor imperfections but buyers are picky, and buying a home is a huge decision.
Go through your house and find every small thing that needs to be fixed. Make sure you’re being as discerning as possible. You could even ask a friend or family member to come in and look around to see if they can find things that you have become accustomed to. Once you have a list of what’s looking a little less than perfect, start fixing those things.
Your renovations to sell your home don’t have to cost thousands of dollars. It’s just important to make sure that you’re fixing things up. Patch the walls, fix screens, deal with squeaky or hard to open doors. You get the idea now. Whatever you can do to make a buyer feel more comfortable about the home is something you should fix before you sell it.
2. Upgrade Fixtures And Hardware
This is something that might be a little more expensive than you’d first imagine (not thousands of dollars but maybe a few hundred) however, it will make a huge difference in the appearance of your home. Changing out the light fixtures or hardware like drawer pulls and cabinet knobs will give your home an updated feel and show buyers that you’ve put in some extra effort.
If you want to get a lot of mileage out of some minor renovations this is one you can’t skip. Fixtures and hardware really can’t change how a kitchen or bathroom looks. Since those are two areas that buyers really tend to focus on, they’re super important places to pay a little extra attention to before you sell.
You don’t have to gut the entire room obviously, but go ahead and update those minor things you’re reading about now. You could even think about changing out the faucets in the kitchen or bathroom as well. Just minor things that will make the whole room feel like it’s been recently fixed up are what’s important about this particular renovation tip.
3. Cosmetic Renovations Are Important Too
If your home has been decorated to your specific tastes you’ll want to change things up to be more neutral before you sell your house. This includes painting your rooms in more welcoming and natural tones. It doesn’t have to be stark white, but it shouldn’t be hot pink either. The overall look of all the rooms should be something that will have a mass appeal.
Think about your carpeting or hardwood flooring too. If the carpeting is looking a little run down, or it’s a very bold color you will probably want to get it replaced. This might be one of the more expensive renovations you have to tackle but its importance is significant.
When you’re thinking about facing having a home on the market for months or paying a little extra to replace the carpeting and possibly sell more quickly the choice is clear. Again, it’s about what buyers are going to see as something that’s move-in ready or a project they have to take on. Updating your flooring could be the difference between a buyer signing the papers, or passing entirely.
4. Update The Bathroom A Little More
You may have already updated the light fixtures which is a great start. You should also consider updating the toilet and vanity. These small updates are important because buyers tend to remember things that stand out. They are likely looking at several houses and if yours has a completely updated bathroom look they’re going to remember it.
If your toilet looks different than everyone else’s that’s going to stand out. If the vanity has a double sink or looks particularly enticing, that will stand out too. It might seem silly or unimportant to you but to a buyer, these things really do make a difference. It’s not going to cost the same as an entire bathroom renovation and it will be well worth it.
5. Countertop Replacements Work Wonders
You don’t have to redo your whole kitchen but spending a little extra money and replacing the kitchen countertops will make it look like your kitchen has been updated significantly. Consider granite or something that looks like granite, as that look appeals to many buyers and is extremely popular right now.
Updating your countertops is something that could change a buyer’s mind if they’re thinking your home may need more work than they’re willing to put in. It doesn’t take an extended period of time to put the new countertops in and it could make a huge difference in how long your home is on the market.
Conclusion:
Renovations truly are important to selling your home. Most buyers aren’t looking to take on a huge project, and unless you’re hoping to sell your home as a fixer-upper you’ll have to put in some work. It may feel useless or frustrating at the time but when buyers start showing increased interest in your home you’ll be glad you put in the extra effort.