100 Tips To Sell Your Home Faster

Home buyers look at more than the outside design of a home. They respond to how the home makes them feel on the inside. The want the home to have “emotional appeal. Here are 100 ways to improve the chances of selling your home: some ideas involve investment and time, some are quick fixes to make your home stand out and increase the chances of selling and decrease the time it spends FOR SALE. CURB APPEAL IS REALLY IMPORTANT. YOU WANT BUYERS TO GET A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION FROM THE START. FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE LASTING ONES. GIVE THE HOUSE A BATH. If the outside of the house is dirty, rent a gas-powered pressure washer ($50) and work top to bottom and rinse away the years. REPAINT THE HOUSE. If the house isn’t sparkling and looks a little tired, repaint. If you are not up to repainting the entire home, maybe touch up the window frames and the doors. You would be surprised how much of a difference this makes. CLEAN THE WINDOWS. Especially in the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach areas, salt loves to cling to everything and windows need to be cleaned more often. REPLACE SIDING. If repainting the home won’t quite fix the exterior, replace the siding. A home that looks great, sells faster and for a better price. LAY A STONE WALKWAY. A stone walkway looks better when compared to a concrete walkway. It should saunter all the way to the newly painted front door. CHECK THE GUTTERS AND THE ROOF. Missing shingles, sagging gutters / lose downspouts make a home look unkempt. The flow can also harm the foundation of the home and be a costly…..costly expense. PUT IN WINDOW BOXES. Any type of flower is a great and very inexpensive way to spruce up a home. WHEN IT COMES TO THE LAWN, THINK PUTTING GREEN. A quick greening fertilizer (ammonium nitrate, urea or ammonium sulfate) with adequate watering will really make the grass look nice in 2 – 3 weeks. Also, trim the edges and remove any weeds. The results make a difference in the overall appeal of the home. ADD WIINDOW PANES. You don’t need to replace your existing windows, you can simply snap on plastic or wooden mullions to give your home a friendly, inviting appearance. RESEAL THE DRIVEWAY. If the driveway needs a touch-up, pick up some asphalt sealant from the local building supply store. This is quick and easy and will leave the driveway looking like a shinny new penny. INSTALL SHUTTERS. If the home seems a little plain and could use something more, you can add shutters in a shade or two lighter or darker. It’s nice to coordinate the color scheme to match doors and window panes. Also, try and match the style with that of the home as much as possible. CONSIDER CHANGING THE FRONT DOOR. If the front door is a plain, flat wooden door, consider changing to a raised-panel hardwood door. You can find these in a variety of styles and price ranges – probably starting at around $400. FIND A PLACE FOR YOUR APPAREL. Too many overcoats, umbrellas, bags etc.. can leave the entryway feeling cluttered and smaller. The entryway should feel wide and welcoming. DRESS UP THE ENTRYWAY. The entryway or foyer can stick out with a dressy overhead light or wall scones. Also, you can dress up the walls with a spot-lit painting, framed mirrors, flowers on a wall table or any visually stimulating decor. PAINT ROOMS IN NUETRAL COLORS. The most common color, as you would expect, is white as it makes spaces seem larger. Small rooms, such as bathrooms and closets and entryways will feel more spacious when painted white. RENT A STORAGE UNIT FOR CLUTTER. Any bulky furniture that is causing rooms to seem cluttered can be stored out of the way to increase the feel of space in the home. CLEAN THE FLOORS. The floors should be spotless. Clean floors make the entire home seem and feel cleaner. SELL OFF THINGS YOU DON’T WANT OR NEED. Holding a yardsale to get rid of clutter is a good way to rid your home of unwanted clutter and the extra money can be used to do some things around the house to help sell it faster. KEEP THE WALLS SIMPLE BUT ELEGANT. Too many small pictures everywhere make a room feel crowded. Try one large picture or group smaller pictures in one space. REMOVE DINING TABLE LEAF. If your dining room table has a leaf, take it out and remove extra chairs to expand the space of the room. USE MIRROR STRATEGY. If mirrors are placed to reflect something beautiful, especially in small rooms, it expands the room. A good idea is to use mirrored backs on shelves with glassware or china. ADD HIGHER WATTAGE LIGHTING. The brighter the rooms, the larger they appear. ELIMINATE ODORS. Whether they are kitchen or pet odors, they are sure to offend visitors. Also, avoid potpourris and sweet smelling sprays. PUT A HOLE IN YOUR ROOF. I mean a skylight. Adding a skylight to a small kitchen, hallway or bath will add light, expand the room and bring a little something extra. ***TIPS FOR THE KITCHEN – The kitchen is the most used room in the entire home. Make is stand out as a focal point by scouring it and adding as much natural light as possible. THE KITCHEN SHOULD HAVE NO SIGNS OF PETS. The kitchen should be free of litter boxes, toys and other signs of pets. TONE DOWN ELEMENTS. You may not want to invest in hard to change elements like tile or flooring. Tone down wall color to white to simplify the look of the kitchen. REFINISH ENAMEL-COATED APPLIANCES. Use auto body polish after removing stains with undiluted bleach and a stiff brush and hiding any nicks with touch-up enamel. HAVE APPLIANCES REFINISHED. Avacado or coppertone appliances can be refinished too. Look in the phone book or online under ceramic. Many of the companies that refinish tile also refinish appliances. Approximately $200 per appliance. ADD WORK AREA LIGHTHING. It’s a great idea to add special lighthing to work surfaces along with bright lighting in the kitchen. ALLOW BRIGHT LIGHT INSIDE. If you have dark curtains, consider removing them altogether. White lace is a good idea, if anything. ***BATHROOM TIPS – A basic rule of thumb for bathrooms is C.L.E.A.N. make sure the bathrooms are clean from the floor to the ceiling. A musty smelling bathroom can, literally, kill a sale. CLEAN THE TILE AND GROUT. A combination of vinegar and water or a strong anti mildew chemical, like Tilex, is a good way to clean coupled with a stiff brush. REPAIR CRACKED AND CHIPPED TILE. A chipped or cracked highly-visible tile can ruin the entire look of the bathroom. If you have matching tile, use a screwdriver or knife to remove the bad tile and all of the old mortar to make the surface receptive to the new tile. After cleaning the spot, replace with a new tile. RECAULK JOINTS. The joints between the sink and bath and shower has sealant. If this sealant needs replacing, this is a great way to make the bathroom sparkle like new. NUETRALIZE FAULTY COLORS. If you have smurfs or hobbits painted on the wall of pink tiles, consider removing these out-of-date colors and paints. BUY A NEW WHITE SHOWER CURTAIN. The patterned and colored curtains make the room appear smaller. POLISH CHROME FIXTURES AND FAUCETS. Use vinegar and water (avoid abrasives) and wipe clean immediately for a shiny new look. REMOVE STAINS FROM SINKS. Mix a paste of cream of tartar with hydrogen peroxide for basic stains. For the more difficult stains, line the sink with paper towels and saturate with household bleach. Let sit for half an hour and wipe clean. REPLACE A BADLY CHIPPED ENAMEL SINK AND/OR HAVE THEM REFINISHED. This a job that a pro can do on-site. A sink usually runs anywhere from $100 – $250 and more for the tub. FIX LEAKY FAUCETS. A leaky faucet suggests neglect to home buyers coming through to view your home on the market. INSTALL UPGRADED TOWEL RAILS, FAUCETS AND OTHER FIXTURES. This is a sure way to accent your home and shows very well to prospective buyers. STRAIGHTEN CLUTTER AND CLEAR AWAY EXCESSIVE STUFF. Anything not necessary for basic functionality, store out of eye sight. SECURE WALLPAPER. Take and adhesive, like a basic sealer found at any local hardware store and secure loose or curling wall coverings. GIVE BOOKS AND MAGAZINES A GOOD HOME. A basket is a great place to keep everything tidy and organized. USE SCENTED CANDLES AND POTPOURRI. Avoid heavy smells, but pleasant light-scented aromas wafting through the air are great. REPLACE THE TOILET SEAT. Use plain white of course. INSTALL FANS. If the ventilation is not very good, consider placing a fan to help in circulation. TIPS FOR THE LIVING ROOM – Try and think of ways to make the living room appear usable and avoid too much emphasis on furniture. IF POSSIBLE, HIDE BAD VIEWS. If there is a vista that is less than appealing, try and distract the view. A good way is a large plant that commands attention. Avoid covering with curtains or solids. CONSIDER NEW WINDOW TREATMENTS. New window treatments will revive the entire room and are a great idea to show TLC has been taken of the home. IF YOU HAVE AN OLD COUCH OR PIECE OF FURNITURE, COVER IT. A slip cover is a great way to hide old worn furniture. STORE YOUR COLLECTIONS. There is nothing wrong with being passionate about certain things in life, we all are. But consider storing them while conducting showings as they can be cluttery and may not be appealing for the potential buyer. ADD UPGRADES IN DETAILS. Crown moulding, upgraded baseboards, rails and other things of this nature will make any room appear much nicer. GED RID OF OLDER PANELING. With older walls, consider removing paneling and use painting techniques to give the walls a nice new feel. TEND TO WALL-TO-WALL CARPET. Smooth away imperfections in this feature. GET RID OF SQUEAKY FLOORS. A simple solution is to add granite powder in to the cracks in the part of the noisy floor. Work the powder in to the crevices and joints until the squeaking stops. Repeat if necessary. REFINISH THE FLOOR. Strip the wax and repolish the floors. ESTABLISH A FOCAL POINT. A fireplace is a natural; arrange furniture around this for a great look. Pianos are great as are walls of books. TIPS FOR THE DINING ROOM AREA – The dining room is one of the least used rooms in a home. Here are some tips to make your dining room feel inviting and used. Have the table refinished if it’s not sparkling. The table is the focal point of the entire room. Take the time to make it stand out. DRESS UP THE TABLE. Purchase new settings or a new runner for the table to accent its charm. TAKE NOTICE OF WINDOW DECOR. If the window is bare, add a swag to increase visual interest. ADD A CENTERPIECE. Perhaps a soup tureen or bowl of fresh fruit would help. MAKE THE ROOM LOOK LIVED IN. Light the ends of the candles to keep them form looking like props. MAKE YOUR CHANDELIER COUNT. Clean and dust this as it highlights the entire room. MAKE THE BEDROOMS APPEAR SOFT. While homeowners want the kitchens and bathrooms to be extra clean, the bedrooms are viewed differently. The bedrooms should appear lived in and soft. PURCHASE NEW BED LINENS. This is a low cost way to spruce up the bedroom. TRY AND CARPET FLOORS. Carpeting in the bedrooms is a great way to make people feel comfortable. The soft feel of carpet creates comfort. TONE DOWN KID’S ROOMS. It’s easier than you think to take down posters and let the viewers imagine how they plan to decorate the room. PUT AWAY KID’S TOYS. Find a neat place to store them. CLEAN OUT THE CLOSETS. Try and make the closets as neat as possible. LANDSCAPING TIPS – The wild look is no longer the in thing. Make the outside of your home inviting and neat. TRIM HEDGES AND SHRUBS. Prune dead limbs and branches too. MEND GATES AND FENCES. Fix any holes or broken latches or broken pieces to make the fence look good and well maintained. PLANT BEAUTIFUL ANNUALS. Flowers that bloom in season are a great way to spruce up the yard and give it appeal. PLANT ANEW. So many homes share this common, overgrown, leggy foundation. SPRUCE UP A PLAIN WALL OR FENCE. A climbing plant or Ivy brings life to a otherwise lifeless fence or wall. Look what it’s done for Wrigley Field. GIVE DETAILS ON POOL MAINTENENANCE. If you own a pool, buyers may worry about the cost of upkeep. Help them to better understand that it’s not bad by providing a fact / cost sheet with specifications. DESCRIBE THE GARDEN ALL YEAR LONG. If you have a seasonal garden that is not in season, let the buyers know what happens in the garden throughout the year. PLANT A TREE. Trees wont grow overnight, but for a few hundred dollars you can have a tree professionally planted and add to the landscape. GET RID OF OLD RUSTY SWING SETS. If there is an old rusty jalopy in the back yard, get rid of it. TIPS FOR THE BASEMENT AND GARAGE – When it comes to the parts of your home that are most often used, the cleaner the better. REMOVE OIL AND GREASE STAINS. A commercial degreasing liquid will help, if not alleviate stains and bring the garage back to life. STORE OLD UNUSED THINGS OFF OF THE FLOOR. If you don’t have enough shelf space, store things in the attic or a temporary storage unit. CLEAN THE BASEMENT THOROUGHLY. A clean, well-kempt basement is an appealing room, use it to your advantage. IF YOUR HOME HAS A FURNACE, CLEAN IT TOO. Wipe the furnace down. It may never look new again, but NEWER, is better. MAKE SURE YOUR BASEMENT IS NOT SICK. Check for asbestos and other harmful things before having people come to view your home.