If you’re selling your house, you’ve probably already made the big repairs that would probably cause buyers to keep looking. What you probably haven’t caught, however, are the small things like squeaky doors that can trigger warning bells in buyers. Here are several small home improvements you should make to help your home sell.
1. Wash/Replace Window Treatments
Dirty, broken or otherwise unkempt window treatments are ugly. It takes just minutes to wipe the blinds down with a wet cloth or to dust them with a feather duster, so be sure you do that before inviting buyers into your home. Pay special attention to cords, strings, and hardware as knots and uneven placement can also leave a negative impression. If the shades/curtains don’t come clean, head to your local home improvement store and purchase new ones.
2. Make Rooms Seem Bigger
You can make any room seem bigger by moving furniture out of the middle of the floor. If the room has a large area rug, push furniture pieces to its edges to create a big open space. Get rid of extra furniture like ottomans and end tables that can crowd the space.
Lastly, open shades/curtains to allow natural light to flood the area, creating more visual space. Remove family photos and artwork and replace them with mirrors to extend the visual area of the room.
3. Replace Burned-Out Light Bulbs
Buyers flip every switch, so be sure every light bulb in your home works. If a buyer turns on a switch but nothing happens, a burned-out bulb may be the culprit, but it might make the buyer think electrical problems are to blame.
Be sure to check every last bulb, including sconces, lamps, and closets, which can often be overlooked. Trust us, the difference in lighting will make a difference to most buyers.
4. Spruce Up The Front Door Area
If you’re like many homeowners, you don’t use your front door very often. As such, the area near and around it often gets overlooked. Take time to spruce up the front door area of your home by sweeping down cobwebs and raking away old leaves. Laying a new welcome mat or replacing the door knocker with a shiny new one is a great way to make a good impression on buyers.
While you’re at it, take a few minutes to clean off the mailbox, too. It’s often covered in spider webs and grime that can make a buyer feel as if you don’t maintain the property as you should.
Selling a home requires lots of repair work, and while most homeowners catch the big stuff, they often overlook the little things that matter, too. If you’re selling your home, you can help it sell faster by making sure to complete the home improvement tasks above.
