Your home is probably the biggest purchase that you’ve ever made in Austin; you make it your own, become emotionally invested, and you build equity in it. Hopefully after a few years, you are able to move up using that equity to purchase a bigger home, or a home in your dream neighborhood. Inevitably when it’s time to sell, you’ll want to get as much money for your home as possible. When you’re ready to contact a Realtor to market your Austin home, but before the professional pictures are taken and the virtual tour is created, you’ll want to keep the following list in mind to potentially save thousands of dollars:
1. Clutter will consume your equity.
2. Cleanliness will increase your equity.
3. Paint will cost less than your first price reduction.
4. Fresh carpet will make your home feel new and less lived in.
Let’s look at how these simple fixes can create excitement among home buyers, and how they can help to get you top dollar in a highly aggressive market.
- Clutter will consume your equity—buyers can’t see through your stuff. As soon as you decide to list your home, start packing up the non-essentials. Clear off your counter tops of all unnecessary appliances (yes, even your coffee maker should be put up when selling your home) and if necessary, rent a small storage unit to store your excess items in. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken a potential buyer to see a home, and the seller hasn’t de-cluttered or they have, and they’ve put it all in the garage…potential buyers see a small garage with a home that doesn’t have ample storage space! Clean it up and clear it out to increase your homes appeal.
- Cleanliness will increase your equity—a dirty home will cost you money. Buyers don’t like to walk into a house that is dusty, dirty, or has an odor. Remember, when you decide to sell, you have to decide to detach yourself from the property. Keep it clean and orderly; make sure that there are no dirty dishes, dirty clothes, dirty litter boxes, and unkempt yards. Clean the gutters and trim the shrubs; make your home pristine to the point that it looks unlived in!
Bonus Tip: Hire a cleaning crew—This can save you time and for a little bit of money, add hundreds to your bottom line. A professional cleaning crew is an investment that is well worth the money spent. Have a crew come in to do a make ready, and once they are done, keep it that way throughout the sale of your home.
- Paint will cost less than your first price reduction—Neutral, neutral, neutral! Fresh paint goes a long way in making a home feel newer and worth more. You may love that fuchsia wall, but a majority of buyers won’t; don’t give them a reason to offer you less! While you’re at it, make sure that you have the front door and trim-work spruced up…remember, it’s the first thing a home buyer will notice.
- Fresh carpet will make your home feel new and less lived in—Buyers want move in ready. They don’t want to think about having to change carpet, but if they do, they will certainly offer you less! If you invest in new carpet, you can almost guarantee a 100% return on that investment and then some. I once had a seller that insisted their carpet didn’t need replacing, and we languished on the market for weeks. Finally he relented and put in 2,500.00 of new carpet…within 5 days of the new carpet, we had an offer on the property that was 5,000.00 over asking price!
Wondering what else you can do to add value to your home easily? Call me today to find out how! When you hire me and Team Ensor Realtors, together we will help you earn top-dollar for your home; we provide a professional home stager who will walk your home and help you figure out what needs done to increase value. Check out our sell a home page to learn more about our home selling program and how we can help you sell your Austin home faster and for more money!
