Price is important when it comes to selling your house. It is definitely one of the most important factors in either attracting, or deterring, interest. But there is something else that is equally important that a lot of people underestimate, and that’s preparation.

You only get one chance to make a first impression on a potential buyer, and if your space isn’t looking it’s best, people won’t trust that you’ll address small things that need to be taken care of, and they won’t come back. It’s a little more work up front, but it’s worth it to help get a quick sale!

When we work with someone to sell their house, we go through the space and make a list of things that need to be addressed/fixed/touched up, etc. before we go on the market. Every property is different, some need a little more, some need a little less. If you’re getting ready to list your property for sale, here are some easy tips to get your space looking it’s best!

Go through your space in the mindset of being a buyer’s first time in the space and look at the following:

• How does the paint look? Do the colors complement the space, do they make the rooms look bright, or dark? Darker, more earth toned colors or colors that are very bright might not be the best choice. Consider painting those rooms lighter, more neutral colors. Here’s a great example of an office that we re-painted. It was a dark green {not even a bad green!} but we brightened it up with a light grey and it looks and feels completely different.

• Is the paint scuffed, or uneven? Are there a lot of old nail holes from art or wall hangings? Repaint areas that have visible damage, clean off any dirt or marks from the space being used over time {most of us don’t clean the walls every year during spring cleaning!} Especially if you have kids, this might be something that needs attention.
• Clean the windows, baseboards, fan blades. I’m a big advocate of a professional cleaning whenever possible, and this is a must if you have already moved out of a space and it’s empty. Let someone else go top to bottom and get it squeaky clean, you keep pulling your energy out of the space so that you keep the stress level low and are setting a great tone when you go on the market!
• Repairs. Get any small handyman repairs taken care of. This could be anything from a light not working, hardware that might have fallen off or be loose, if the grout or caulk on your tub is dark and moldy ~ redo it! Fix these items that are things people notice at first glance, or when they interact with your space, it helps ensure that people will have a positive experience during their first experience in the space.
• Change the lightbulbs. This is so easy it’s almost funny that people don’t do it. Change any lightbulbs that are out, and please… please make sure all the lightbulbs are the same color temperature and match! Keep your space nice and bright!

Here are a few examples from the list above.. small things like this just make a space look and feel tired, but they are easy to fix and well worth the small amount of time and effort in order to get your space into it’s best shape. These are just a few things that might need to be taken care of before photos and showings, but getting these smaller items taken care of help to refresh the space and make sure people have a good experience and first impression.  And as silly as it sounds, it helps people stay focused on the important aspects of the space and not get distracted by anything that might make the space seem less than appealing.

I have a short video up on my Facebook page about this topic today as well, so pop on over and check it out. And if you need some help getting your space looking it’s best before you sell, give us a shout!