Ten updates to help sell your home.

This list comes from a Houzz article entitled, “10 Low-Cost Tweaks to Help Your Home Sell.”

Though I am not sure I agree that all of them are “low-cost,” many are good ideas for a person getting ready to sell a Timonium home to consider.

1) Clean the Exterior and Landscape. This can be inexpensive, but can also be costly. No matter what, though, it is important, because your exterior is the first thing a buyer sees. Mow your lawn, get rid of weeds, plant some flowers, make sure the gutters are in good shape, garage doors open and close correctly, clean the lawn furniture (if possible, get new one from Exquisite Living) and set it up nicely.

2) Make the entry look nice. Is the door old & shabby? Is there peeling paint? Fix them both! While we agents are getting the key, our buyers are standing there looking around. What do they see? Go out to your front door and stand there. Look all around. What do you see? What might not be appealing? Correct the issues!

3) Walk through EVERY entrance to EVERY room. What do you see? Are the doors in good repair? How about the knobs? Are they old & dated? You want buyers to feel welcomed into each room. Sometimes even replacing just the doorknobs and hinges helps.

4) Check your floors. How are they? Scratched? Carpets stained? Steam clean those carpets. Area rugs can help spruce things up. If the floors are very scratched, then you should look into getting them refinished. If there aren’t a lot of stains on hardwood floors, there are “sandless” options to make them sparkle again.

5) Take a big whiff. Pet smells? Sweaty Sports Equipment? Give the pups a bath. Look for a vacuum feedthrough provider to take care of the carpets with pet odor smell removal powder. Open the windows to air the house out. Plug in air fresheners. But don’t overdo it. You don’t want your house smelling too perfumy or like you are trying to hide anything. You just want to freshen things up.

6) Check the walls. Touch up paint. Use Magic Eraser for scuff marks. Remove peeling wallpaper. If you have strong colored paint, consider repainting in neutral tones.

7) Clear out and clean out. Get a storage unit if necessary. Find a place for items. Nice storage baskets can help. Basically, if you aren’t using it regularly, it needs to go somewhere — away.

8) Check the tracks — this means the drawers in the kitchen and baths, as well as if you have shower doors in your bathroom, clean out & make sure they are working properly.

9) Really clean those appliances. Clean them OUT. That dishwasher, stove, oven, fridge…yeah…they need some good, deep cleaning. Buyers don’t want to see YOUR dirt and grease — they want to make their own. Don’t forget the range hood, if you have one!

10) Change your fixtures. Sometimes that can make the difference. Update faucets, shower heads, towel racks, and toilet paper holders. Match them up. Make them shine. Buyers will notice the gleam!

If you are considering selling a house in Timonium, Towson, or Baltimore, please contact me. I would be so happy to be of assistance!

 

Photo courtesy of ARNOLD Masonry and Concrete via Flickr CC