Prep Your Reston Home for Sale
Continued low mortgage rates, tight supply and strong demand have put home sellers in the driver’s seat, making this a great time to consider selling your Reston home. This could be an opportunity to maximize resale profits, as many homes receive multiple offers, often above the asking price. However, to yield the best results possible you will need to do some prep work.
Before listing your home, boost marketability and curb appeal by trying to see your home from a buyer’s perspective. What changes can you make that will help your house shine on the market?
If it’s Broke, Fix It
Something as seemingly simple as making basic repairs can yield big results in the real estate market. While we are all guilty of overlooking home repairs big and small, you need to take care of these things to put your best face forward. Now is the time to repair leaky faucets, running toilets, damaged bathroom grout, and any other damage to your property. Do not forget to check both the inside and the outside of your property. Inspect driveways and sidewalks for cracks and make repairs for aesthetic and safety reasons.
Make a Grand Entrance
Make the entrance to your home as inviting as possible. Paint the door, sweep away cobwebs, and change your outside light fixtures. These inexpensive tweaks can breathe new life into the front of your home and help you give off a great first impression to prospective buyers.
Curb Appeal
Working off your freshened entrance, go ahead and spruce up your yard too. Remove any personalized ornamentation (say no to the gnomes!) and make sure your lawn is up to par. Planting flowers is relatively inexpensive and can give your curb appeal a colorful boost!
Declutter
You’re planning to move anyway, so there is no better time for a massive decluttering of your belongings. Things tend to accumulate in homes and decluttering now means you will not be paying to move unnecessary and unwanted items to clutter up your new space. Don’t neglect the garage, basement, and attic, three prime locations where clutter tends to grow. Buyers need to be able to see the storage space available.
Depersonalize and Rearrange
Remove or rearrange furniture to create space in your home and to define all the usable space with a purpose. Also, be sure to pack up photos and personal items. Those items will be ready to move and their absence helps buyers envision the home as their own.
Organize
A buyer is going to want to see what the space in like in the kitchen drawers and cabinets, as well as the closets so organize, organize, organize! Messy cabinets and overflowing closets are a turn off to buyers and don’t fully highlight available space.
Freshen
A fresh coat of paint is a surefire way to give your home a bright new look. Just be sure to keep colors neutral. You also might want to consider carpet cleaning or completely new carpeting to make your home look up to date.
Clean
Buyers are not going to be interested in a dirty house. Everyone’s house gets dirty and messy sometimes, but that time should never be when your house is on the market. Think “pristine!” Do a thorough cleaning of your home inside and out. Don’t forget things like gutters, screens, and windows. This final step will be sure to kick your home’s appeal up another notch in the real estate market.