Home Seller Advice: How to Boost Your Home’s Buyer Appeal

A listing can go from drab to fab with a few improvements. This could be something as small as trimming shrubs or something as major as a kitchen remodel. When a home sits on the market for a long time, buyers start thinking that there is something wrong with it. Advise sellers to focus on the following improvements to make their homes irresistible to buyers.

Update the Exterior

Curb appeal helps sellers to have the most gorgeous home on the block. Buyers don’t give sellers a second opportunity to make a great first impression; they judge them by the first. When they drive by a house, they want to see a home that is well-maintained and cared for. Anything less might make them think that the interior is no better.

Clean the Interior Thoroughly

While curb appeal might make buyers more interested in a property, sellers must take additional steps if they want to keep buyers glued. The cleanliness of a property affects a buyer’s impression of its condition. Kitchens and bathrooms play a major role in influencing a buyer’s decision so sellers must concentrate on these two areas.

Minimize Clutter

Clutter prevents buyers from seeing how they can use the space. It is a major distraction as it makes buyers focus more on it than on other features of a property. Sellers with limited space can rent storage units for their belongings. Remind your sellers that what seems beautiful or unique to them might actually repel buyers. Some of the things they can do to get rid of clutter include:

• Hold garage sales to dispose of unused items and to get ready to move.
• Store unused shoes and clothes to make bedroom closets look roomy.
• Get rid of spoilt or damaged furniture.
• Remove items like toys, books, and tools from open shelves, countertops, closets, and garages.
• Organize shelves, cabinets, closets, and pantries as buyers are bound to inspect these areas.

Stage the Home

After cleaning the interior and getting rid of clutter, the next process is staging. An unstaged home makes it hard for buyers to visualize themselves in the space as it leaves a lot to the imagination. Many sellers assume that staging is a pricey affair reserved for the rich but this isn’t the case. Others think that their homes already look stunning in their current condition, another untrue fact. The reality is that all homes can benefit from some form of staging. If some of your sellers say no to staging, remind them that their goal is to turn their homes into marketable products and staging can help them to achieve that.

Spruce Up the Kitchen

There’s no denying the fact that great kitchens sell homes. The kitchen is the heart of a home and sellers with money to spare should focus on this area because it is the one with the greatest return on investment. Even those with modest budgets can focus on the major areas. A few improvements can make your sellers get the asking price for their properties. Even in a slow market, making a kitchen attractive to buyers can make a huge difference.

Have the Property Inspected

Most serious buyers often pay to have homes inspected. Their aim is to uncover potential problems before buying the house. At times, sellers have their homes inspected before putting them on the market. This is a good idea because it shows the seller’s willingness to go the extra mile and instantly sets him apart from other sellers. It also gives buyers the impression that the home is an open book and eases their concerns.