When your home is in showroom shape it'll get more offers at higher numbers. This is true no matter where your home is located, or what comforts (potential and current) it provides.
Staging a home for sale is a crucial part of the process, and whether you invest in renovations to get it to selling form, or just do a deep clean and declutter, the return on investment will be worth it. In order to stage your home effectively, you'll need to take a step back and get some emotional distance. The things you've grown used to or even find comforting may appear off-putting or unnecessary to a potential buyer. Below are some tips to help transform your house into a home that prospective buyers will envision as their own.
Remove all front and yard clutter. Get rid of dead foliage and weeds, and trim, cut and otherwise spruce up your foliage. Repaint weather-worn gates and fences, and invest in some fresh flowers to brighten up those beds!
Does your house need a power wash? You can rent a power washer by the hour! Does the house color need a modern update? Consider painting it. If you’re minding your budget, a fresh repaint of the door and a new welcome mat can go a long way! Shine up and tighten the door handles and make sure your windows sparkle!
You’ll be surprised at how much larger rooms can look when you remove extraneous furniture and accessories. Pack up the items on your bookshelves and built-ins. Make your closets look spacious by removing all the clothes you crammed in there except for a few pieces to make it look “real.” Re-stage the furniture to open up the space and help direct a good flow through the house. Renting a storage unit might be a great idea. You don't need to get rid of your favorite recliner or all of your magazines, but you don’t want them to stand in the way of a sale, either. Hiding them away while your home is on the market is the perfect compromise.
Even though your kids are cute and you’re proud of your rifle collection, you don’t want potential buyers to wonder what kind of people live there now. Instead, you want them to think, “I could see myself here!” Pack up your family photos and heirlooms and tuck them in your storage unit.
Buyers are nosy! They’re going to peer into your closets, open your cabinets, and snoop in your bedroom drawers. You might as well make sure they like what they see! Alphabetize your spice rack, and neatly line up your shoes and hangers. If your buyer sees you as a neat, organized person, they’ll assume you take as great care of your home as you do the things inside it.
That room you use as an exercise room - could it be a bedroom instead? A playroom? What about an office? Re-purposing the room for the latter is what many homebuyers would rather see. You can take your workout to the outdoors or the gym, knowing that this slight inconvenience might be the key to selling your house right now! Don’t be afraid to ask your Network agent what buyers in your neighborhood are looking for.
The marketplace changes all the time and a fresh estimate is worth your while, even if you're not quite sure you're ready to sell. One of our expert real estate agents can research your home and neighborhood and create a free comparative market analysis. This will help you price your home competitively, which will help it sell! (This is just one of the many ways a real estate agent can help you sell your home!)
Talk to your Network Real Estate agent. We know better than everyone what sells a home. Your Realtor can recommend improvements, a home stager, or even just provide some simple tips to ensure your Wilmington area home is sold for top dollar.
(910) 395-4100 College Road Office
(910) 458-8881 Carolina Beach Office
(910) 772-1622 Historic Downtown Wilmington Office
