7 Ways to Get Your House Ready to Sell in the Spring

7 Ways to Get Your House Ready to Sell in the Spring

Here are some of the best tips and tricks in the book for getting your house ready to list for the busy spring season in Saskatoon.

1. De-Clutter

The less stuff you have, the larger your home will appear. Since getting buyers into the home is half the battle, make sure your belongings are put away before professional photos are taken and definitely before a showing! De-cluttering doesn’t mean you have to throw everything away, but more if there are loose odds and ends that can be tucked away in a drawer, do it! If that sounds too overwhelming and you want to enlist the help of a professional, try these local companies: Home Free Organizing, and Aimee Lauren Interiors.
What we see a lot is too much furniture in a room or inadequately sized furniture for the room. Most professional stagers will offer a consultation where they come visit your home and then provide a list of things to put away, get rid of and what pieces should be kept. Additionally, reduce the number of books on shelves, and remove vases, statues, or clocks from tables.

2. Paint Rooms

This is one of the more efficient and least expensive ways to spruce up the rooms in your home. Getting a fresh coat of paint on walls will instantly brighten them up and make the home look like new. In our experience, white is the way to go! Some of the trendy shades of white include: Benjamin Moore Silver Satin (grey undertone), Benjamin Moore White Dove (warm undertone), and Benjamin Moore Calm (beige undertone).
Painting rooms also helps to maximize space and make them appear larger and is one of the biggest returns on your investment of any home improvement project.

3. Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is as important as ever, even with the snow. With Saskatoon weather, there is always a chance of some snow in April, so if that’s the case make sure walkways are cleared to allow for easy access. When the snow melts cracks become more noticeable. Cracks that may have occurred in your foundation, walkways, and patio during the winter months are a welcome sign for water to get in your house and cause damage. Fill these as soon as you can and avoid paying for repairs after the spring rain.
Also make sure your patio and walkways are sloping away from your house so water does not pool near your foundation. Once the snow is melted it is crucial to the appeal of your home to maintain freshly-trimmed hedges, clear walkways, weed removal, fresh mulch and well-kept lawns. When buyers pull up and see a well-kept yard, it means the home is well-kept on the inside as well.

4. Make Small Fixes

As buyers tour your home, if they spot a broken railing or leaky faucet, it gives the impression that everything in the house hasn’t been cared for. That’s why it’s so important to take the time to repair any small projects you’ve been putting off. Replace missing tiles, fix torn screens, touch up holes or cracks in walls. Replace cracked windowpanes and moldings. Making repairs like these won’t cost a lot of money, yet they will have a huge impact on a buyer’s impression of your home.

5. Brighten Up!

A low-cost but effective way of showcasing your home is making it appear brighter. Buyers prefer bright cheerful homes to those that appear dark and cramped. Keep drapes and shades open to allow more natural light into the home. Awnings on decks should be retracted. Replacing low wattage light bulbs with brighter ones and actually changing some fixtures out completely will open and brighten up a room instantly. You would be amazed how adding a lamp to a dark corner can open up and add space to the entire room.

6. Clean Like You’ve Never Cleaned Before

Cleaning your house before professional pictures are taken and before it goes on the market is one of the most important things you can do. We recommend dedicating a few days to really get your home to sparkle! The kitchen and bathrooms need to be immaculate. If it all seems too overwhelming, our recommendation is to start with one task (e.g. bathroom or closet) to tackle first,once completed this will give you a sense of accomplishment and you will already be on task 2! When was the last time you cleaned the windows in your house? Get the Windex out! This is a simple inexpensive way to bring more light into rooms and make even older windows look new again. Wash curtain sheers. Shampoo rugs. Make the beds. Dust shelves. Counters, sinks, tubs, and appliances should sparkle. Clean all switch plates. A bright, spotless house will make your home much more appealing to buyers.

7. Get home improvement information together

It is very helpful to the realtor selling your house to have all associated home improvement information gathered and reviewed prior to listing your house. If you have completed a lot of renovations over the years, don’t let that go unnoticed! Providing a chronological list of improvements made to your property can help tell a story and show the pride in ownership you have for your home!

Sources:

• Lammacchia