Selling your home in any market can be an exercise in patience for sellers. While the real estate market might finally be stabilizing around the country (with some local markets far ahead of others), buyers are taking their time making decisions about what to buy.
If you’re looking to sell your home and you want to encourage the process along, take a few extra steps to make your home look more appealing to potential buyers.
Fix Your Flooring
If you have carpet in your home, it had better be brand new or look brand new. Buyers don’t ever want to walk into a home with dingy or smelly carpet. If you can, replace the carpet with an inexpensive new style. You don’t have to spend a fortune on the carpet, but being able to advertise that you have brand new carpet makes buyers more comfortable.
If you can, consider upgrading to hardwood or tile flooring. It’s a balancing act, however, when you upgrade your flooring. In certain areas, having new flooring will make your home sell much faster, but then you have to consider the cost of the upgrade to determine if you’ll be getting an advantage in fewer holding costs or increased sales price after paying more for installation.
If you already have hardwoods, consider refinishing the floors to give your home a brand new shine that accompanies sanding and resurfacing.
Update Paint and Fixtures
Look at your doorknobs. Do they look old and dated? Check out your light fixtures and ceiling fans – do they belong to a past decade? New buyers want to move into a home that is updated and truly move-in ready. New fixtures like door knobs and lights can be reasonably priced and easy to replace. While it’s not in your best interest to spend thousands on new lighting in your home, it can be worthwhile if you have fixtures in your home that are obviously dated and make your home look uncared for.
The same can be said for paint in your home. If your walls are scuffed and dingy, repaint them. If your trim paint is nicked, scratched and flaking off, fix it. Selling your home can be a lot of work, but it’s far better to invest the time now and get it ready for the market properly than waiting for it to sit on the market for months before you start actually trying to make it more appealing to buyers.
Remove Clutter and Stage Your Home
When buyers walk in, they should be able to imagine your home as theirs. Take down all of the pictures of your family and remove the collections and personal items that are so uniquely yours. Leave only the bare essential decorations and the pieces of furniture that distinguish each room. For example, in your bedroom, all you need is a bed and perhaps a dresser.
You want your rooms to appear large and spacious. Filling them with bookcases, chairs, toys and boxes makes your home appear messy, small and unattractive to buyers. It can be a challenge to do without many of your favorite things for a few months, but packing up as much as possible before trying to sell, makes it easier for buyers to see the beauty or charm of your home, not your messes.
While I’m working in the Houston real estate market, the same can be said elsewhere, selling a home requires a greater investment on your part. Fortunately, you don’t have to invest much money if you’re willing to invest time and energy instead.
Keith Munsell 
