Easy Ways to Improve Your Chances of Selling Your House

Low-cost ways to improve Your Chances of Selling Your House

Selling a home requires you to pay attention to how a property appears to buyers. Improving curb appeal, keeping the home tidy and making it look fresh and modern can attract more potential buyers and may result in a quick and easy home sale.  There are several tasks homeowners may undertake to prepare their homes for a sale that require them to spend money. For example, making repairs or home improvements, hiring a home inspector to assuage buyer concerns and improving a property’s curb appeal are common among sellers.

However, there are several other low-cost but equally important tasks sellers should take that carry a great deal of importance.

Rid the home of unsightly features or scents

Walking into a home that smells odd or foul can quickly turn a buyer the other way.  In some cases, homeowners may be accustomed to the smell of their home and not even realize that it may smell off to outsiders. For example, individuals who have cats may grow used to the odor of their cat’s litter box, and smokers may be oblivious to the scent of cigarettes. Other smells may be less subtle, such as the scent of a dusty basement. It’s important to purge a home of these odors by doing a thorough cleaning. To avoid the overpowering smell of cleaning supplies, use non-odorous products and light soft-scented candles.

In addition, it’s also important to remove unsightly objects or features from view. For example, many homeowners with pets overlook litter boxes, dog beds and chew toys during the showing. On the same topic, pet hair all over the house is also a turnoff.

Owners with chipped paint, old wallpaper or holes and scratches in the walls should also update these features before a showing. The same goes for thoroughly cleaning carpets and countertops to remove stains.

Out with the old, in with the new

Making small purchases to freshen up a home is another cost-effective way to entice more buyers. For example, toss out old bed comforters, place mats, kitchen rugs and hand towels. Replace them with new and brighter additions to spruce up the room. In addition, simple tasks, such as replacing older light bulbs and washing windows, can add more brightness and shine to a room.

The key is to make the home appear as neat and fresh as possible, and adding a few new items can give the property an entirely fresh appearance. For more advice, tweet to us at @Coldwellbanker.

Read more home selling tips and resources.

Image via seattletimes

Lindsay is the the Director of Media Engagement for Coldwell Banker Real Estate and manages the brand’s media and social media department. She is also a licensed real estate professional. In 2017 & 2018, she was named a top 20 social influencer in the real estate industry in the annual Swanepoel 200 power rankings.

Lindsay lives in Livingston, NJ with her college sweetheart and now husband Joe and rwelcomed another Joe into her life as she became a mom in June 2016.

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7 Comments

  1. Easy Ways to Improve Your Chances of Selling Your House | Susan Lerner's Real Estate Blog
    June 25, 2013

    […] Owners with chipped paint, old wallpaper or holes and scratches in the walls should also update these features before a showing. The same goes for thoroughly cleaning carpets and countertops to remove …read more […]

    Reply
  2. Easy Ways to Improve Your Chances of Selling Your House | Earl Forbes Blog
    June 25, 2013

    […] Walking into a home that smells odd or foul can quickly turn a buyer the other way.  In some cases, homeowners may be accustomed to the smell of their home and not even realize that it may smell off to outsiders. For example, individuals who have cats may grow used to the odor of their cat’s litter box, and smokers may be oblivious to the scent of cigarettes. Other smells may be less subtle, such as the scent of a dusty basement. It’s important to …read more […]

    Reply
  3. Easy Ways to Improve Your Chances of Selling Your House | Seller Resources | Coldwell Banker Blue Matter
    June 25, 2013

    […] Easy Ways to Improve Your Chances of Selling Your House […]

    Reply
  4. Mickey James
    September 16, 2013

    Amazing blogs you have guys!! Keeps the ball rolling…..

    http://www.antacpest.com/

    Reply
  5. Joe Morris
    April 8, 2015

    Fantastic advice. The animal advice is so obvious yet people forget because they live with their animals everyday so they do not even think about cleaning up the litter box or picking up the dog toys. The little things count! My mother always told me to start small and go bigger, that’s how I got started with my house.

    Joe, The Pest Guy
    http://www.southcoastfumigators.com

    Reply
  6. Jessie Luiz
    April 22, 2016

    I remember walking into a house that stunk like cigarettes, for non-smokers that is horrible! Obviously this needs to be taken care of before an open house.

    Jessie Luiz
    Las Vegas Realty, Agent
    https://lasvegashomesforsale702.com

    Reply

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