Five Ways to Get Your House Ready to Sell in a Snap

Getting Your House Ready to Sell

Real estate experts know the secret to selling homes fast. Of course, some homes need more work than others. But don’t worry... we’ll help you solve the mystery with these five simple ways to get your house ready to sell - in a snap!

1) Rent a storage locker

It seems so simple, but many people just can’t figure out how to declutter their homes quickly. Packing up your extra items is a great start, but that just fills your decluttered space with boxes. Renting a storage locker, whether it is nearby your home or better yet, near your new home, will make this task easier on everyone.

Realtor.com offers a comprehensive guide to decluttering your home, from paring down your furniture collection (harder than you might think) to packing away your personal photos and items (buyers want to visualize their own things in the home).

You can even find services to help you with this task, if it’s too daunting to tackle alone. You can hire companies to come in, assess the situation, and get right down to business with any size decluttering job. In the end, sometimes it just makes more sense to pay for help than to try to do it alone.

2) Fix up the front porch

Many times, home sellers forget that the front door is the first impression for a buyer. Fixing up the front of your home may seem like an expensive venture, but you can file these tips under penny-friendly!

Photo Credit: digsdigs.com

DIY Network suggests a simple and inexpensive front porch makeover project: painting the front door. A half-gallon of outdoor-appropriate paint is all you need to give your entryway a bright pop of trendy color -- and a whole new look.

Once that simple task is complete, you’re almost there! Add some potted perennials for color, a few wicker chairs with colorful cushions, and voila! Any imperfections on your front porch will be far less noticeable.

3) Touch up the paint

Once your decluttering is done, you’ll probably start to see other projects that need to be completed in your home. Have a look around: does your paint look drab and outdated? Could it use a refresh? Unless you’ve painted it in the last year or so, it’s safe to assume that your walls and ceilings will benefit from a new coat of paint.

According to the sales experts at Zillow, there’s real data behind paint choices. Some colors will help your house sell for a premium price, while darker, more specific colors may even deter buyers. The winners? Almost any shade of blue made the cut for selling at a higher price than homes with all-white color schemes.

So, get on your painting clothes and start taping! HomeAdvisor suggests that paint and materials for an average-sized room will cost you between $200 and $300, so refreshing your paint is an economical way to get that much closer to an offer on your home.

4) Fix your broken stuff

You’ve been meaning to fix that broken towel bar for (gulp) years. It’s embarrassing, for sure. Potential home buyers are going to be the ones to notice that leaky faucet, loose handrail, or damaged doorknob.

Enlist the help of a handy friend and get down to business. Make a list of everything that simply must be fixed. Organize by what you can do yourself, and what you’ll need help to fix. Set aside a weekend or two before your first open house and tackle it all at once, like ripping off a bandaid. (You’ll thank us for this tip later!)

5) Wow your buyers with fresh style

Everyone knows that kitchens sell houses. Remodeling a kitchen is time consuming and can be very expensive. That’s where smaller projects can save the day. Here’s one way to add style to your kitchen without breaking the bank: METALLAIRE backsplashes.

METALLAIRE panels are made with stainless steel, a material naturally resistant to rust, making them perfect for use as a backsplash in your kitchen. To get this look, you’ll need a few simple tools, an adhesive product, and some cone head nails to complete the installation.

METALLAIRE comes in a variety of patterns and finishes to match any decor. Your home’s future owner is sure to love this unique, contemporary finish in your kitchen.

These five simple steps to help you get your house ready to sell will have you well on your way to new home in no time! Good luck!