Since it is now officially fall, it is important for those who have their homes on the market to take into consideration how important it is to make your homes stand out from the crowd. Typically, the autumn season is a buyers market in the real estate world. There tend to be more homes on the market than there are potential buyers, which we discussed in a previous blog post. Presenting your home in its most pristine condition is crucial in order to sell your home quickly during the slower fall months. Here are our tips on what the modern-day homebuyer wants to see at a house showing.
Neutral walls. If you were thinking about painting your home (or maybe it wasn’t even on your radar) consider this - modern-day homebuyers are into a more neutral appearance. White and light grey are the most sought after colors for home interior. It gives buyers a fresh and new perspective on the potential of a home and makes it clearer to visualize what to do with the space. If you have bold wall colors that are different in each room, it could be looked at as too much to have to fix.
Clear the clutter. Simplicity is key and having too much clutter - in decoration or personal belongings, can really turn away buyers. Like the paint on the walls, buyers want a fresh perspective when they are looking at a potential home and having too many personal belongings or decoration pieces from the previous homeowner may cloud their judgment.
Put away the photographs. Photographs are reminders of the owner's past - something that a new potential buyer isn’t going to want to see. They will want to view your home as their own and insight to what their future can look like - not someone else’s past. You can easily replace photographs by putting different images inside - perhaps from a travel magazine, postcards, pieces of art or mirrors.
Spruce up your curb appeal. This means ensuring that your lawn is well maintained and perhaps even making your front door/porch more welcoming. Since it is fall you may want to consider putting a few pumpkins or mums on your porch and maybe even painting your front door a more classic color that matches well with the rest of the outside of your home.
Plants. So you got rid of your clutter, but now some areas look bare. This is where you can add in some plants or flowers. Adding greenery to your home is always a good idea. It’s fresh, produces more oxygen inside the home and they are always so pretty to look at! Adding a vase of fresh flowers on your kitchen table or island would be the cherry on top.
Deep clean. Last but definitely not least, make sure your home is CLEAN. Your home should go through a very deep cleaning before you start showing (and if that means you need to hire help, by all means, it is worth it!). From the littlest nooks and crannies, any piece of dust or grime should be wiped away. Buyers will be looking for flaws and no one wants to buy a dirty home.