In such a seller’s market, it can sometimes slip home owners minds’ to think about how to make their home more appealing to today’s buyer. Most homes in the Guelph area are ending up in bidding wars anyways, right? You would be surprised how much more people are willing to open their pocket books when you do a little bit of work to get your home ready for showings. Here are some easy tips for ways to set your home apart and get people insisting on having it.
Trim up your gardens, walkways and lawn. In the winter, make sure all your driveways and walkways are shoveled and salted. Any wandering weeds or messy driveways may distract buyers from truly looking at the potential of your yard or the front of your home.
The curb appeal of your home is very important. You want buyers to have a great impression of your home before they even step inside. They also want to feel confident in how well you have taken care of your home while you’ve been there. Cleaning out your gutters, washing windows and screens can make a big difference. Another handy product to use are home washing systems that attach to your hose and clean off any old dirt and grime on your siding or brick.
First impressions are important. Buyers will spend a minute or two waiting at your front door for their realtor to open a lock box to get entry to your home. You want your front door to make buyers excited to get inside and not starting to look for flaws as soon as they step in.
Having a scented candle or a lingering smell of fresh baking for a showing or an open house are great ways to make buyers feel right at home when they walk in. Another thing to remember is that not everyone is a cat or dog lover (crazy, right?!) and they don’t want to smell your dog’s bed or cat’s litter box at any point during their visit.
It goes almost without saying, but a clean home sells better than a dirty one. Make sure you get into all the nooks and crannies of your home to give it a spotless shine and feel. This can sometimes be difficult with pets and hectic schedules so don’t be afraid to hire in some help with clean up- it will more than pay off when the offers come in.
Your kids may love their fluorescent pink bedroom, but buyers who don’t have kids, or have kids with different tastes, may be turned off by the extreme colour choices. You want buyers to spend time in every room imagining what they could do with it, not reaching for their sunglasses. Same goes for your mustard yellow rec room or burnt orange kitchen- keep the colours neutral and complementing.
