Blog Post

Why Having Your House Ready to Sell is Very Important

Tom Sprich • Jan 14, 2021
Grand Rapids Real Estate Agent

Every seller wants their home to sell quickly and get top dollar for it. Achieving this, however, involves careful planning and knowing how to properly prepare your home to showcase its best features and increase buyer appeal. The focus goes beyond generally making your home more inviting – you want to evoke a prospective buyer’s imagination and convince them they’ve found their dream home.

Here are some techniques that you should employ to prepare your home for the current buyer demographic:


  • Make the front door inviting
  • Declutter and get rid of any trash
  • Clean the house thoroughly
  • Scrub the kitchen and bathrooms
  • Clean or update flooring
  • Clean the roof and rain gutters
  • Organize all closets and drawers
  • Rearrange furniture to showcase your space
  • Depersonalize each room
  • Make sure each room has a defined purpose
  • Paint your walls with warm, neutral colors
  • Let in as much natural light as possible
  • Make sure your landscaping is well-maintained
  • Wash windows, siding, sidewalk, deck, or patio
  • Replace outdated light fixtures
  • Add accessories
  • Decorate in a neutral style
  • Avoid divisive decor
  • Make any necessary repairs
  • Remove bad odors
  • Buy a new welcome mat


Benefits of Preparing Your Home for Sale


Creates a Favorable First Impression


First impressions become more important when you’re selling your home. You want to give a positive impression when potential buyers pull up to your home because what they see on the outside can determine their attitude for the rest of the visit. Keep in mind that buyers are likely to tour several properties. Improving your home’s interior and exterior can put buyers in a positive frame of mind and leave a strong impression that won’t fade quickly.


Helps Buyers Envision Themselves Living in the House


Cleaning, decluttering, and home staging is typically done in a way that makes the property incredibly attractive to a wide audience. Because people have different tastes, preferences, and lifestyles, your job is to help them imagine themselves living in your home. You want them to see the house as a good fit for them, not for you.


Unusual paint colors, religious items, taste-specific decorating choices, and family pictures will make a personal connection to the home difficult. When you prepare your home for sale, you’re basically highlighting your home’s best features, making rooms feel large and inviting, and guiding buyers to what you want to show off.


Increases the Likelihood of a Speedy Sale


A properly prepared home may sell faster and for a higher price than a home that hasn’t received a special touch. Buyers don’t want to see work that needs to be done when the purchase is finalized. They’ll reduce their offering price for every problem they see. And if they see too many issues, they may pass on buying the home altogether.


The whole point of preparing your home for sale is to present the property in the best light possible and entice buyers to make an offer. This can reduce the amount of time that a home is on the market.


Helps Your Home Stand Out From the Competition


You can have a lot of competition as a seller. You can bet that potential buyers will visit several houses before yours and that they will visit more when they leave. With this in mind, you have to make sure your house stands out from the crowd before you try to sell it. Advance preparation will provide a better, more attractive viewing experience and give the appearance of a better value. This will resonate with buyers and convince them to pull out their checkbooks.


Gives a Perception of a Bigger Home


Maximizing space is a key goal when it comes to selling a home. Most buyers want to upsize their home and will be put off by a home that feels cramped or crowded. By removing clutter, arranging furniture, and making your home airier, you can maximize usable space and enlarge your home visually.


Final Thoughts


Selling a home is a significant financial transaction, so it just makes sense to properly prepare your home in advance for a quicker and more seamless sale.

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