10 “Do-It-Yourself” That Will Help Sell Your Home

Selling your home is not just about finding an agent to sell it for you.  More than anyone else, you’re the one who has the most vested interest in selling your home.  Thus, you should do your share in making sure that your home is in tip top shape during inspections and open houses.  Hiring a professional home stager can make things easier for you.

However, if it’s not within your budget, here are 10 things you can do to help sell your home faster:

1) Be Objective:  Oftentimes, we have this "love-your-own" view of our home.   We usually have a blind eye for its faults and shortcomings.  Since, you’re used to seeing things as they are everyday, everything seems to look fine.  In reality, some things do need attention.  You can ask someone else to help you identify the things that will help make your place look more presentable and smarter.  It doesn’t have to be a professional opinion.  Ask your friends or relatives for their honest and objective opinion.  They used to be home buyers too and their profile could be the same as your potential home buyers.

2) Clean your home:  Have a system in cleaning your home.  Have a timetable and itemize the areas you plan to clean, according to its priority.  Oftentimes, just the thought of cleaning your whole home is already overwhelming, that you never get to actually start it.  Recognize the fact that you cannot do everything in one day.  If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask for it.  Request for some assistance from your relatives or friends. 

3) Declutter:  Organize the clutter in your house.  Start by sorting the things into boxes or containers.  Label it as things you need to put away in the garbage, things that you will donate to charity and things that you still need.  You’re not only making your home look more presentable, but you’re also giving yourself a head start in packing,

4) Attend to minor repairs:   Make sure all the loose knobs and cabinet doors are fixed.  You don’t want to leave an impression that you’re house is falling apart.  Call a licensed tradesman for the things you cannot do yourself, such as plumbing and electrical.  Don’t let these minor repairs be bargaining factors in your home’s selling price or worse be a reason for them not to buy your home.

5)  Consider repainting:  If you have some extra cash, consider repainting your home.  Use neutral colors that will appeal to the general majority of buyers.  A new coat of paint will make your house look fresh and more clean.  This is something you can do yourself.  Just make sure you do it right.  If you’re not confident you can do it properly then hire someone to do it or just clean the walls with some sugar soap and water.

6)  Do some simple landscaping:  Start at your front yard.  Declutter your garden.  Remove the overgrown vegetation.  Fix your mailbox.  Clean the driveway.  Mow the grass.  Plant some flowers and other suitable plants that would add to the curb appeal of your home.  Do the same in your backyard.  Making it look clean, nice and organized,  makes it look inviting, relaxing and easier to maintain.  You don’t want your buyers to have an impression that your yard is high maintenance and will be an additional cost to their move-in expenses.

7) Furnish your home appropriately:  Over the years, you might have collected a lot of furniture and decors that makes your house look cluttered and smaller. Remove excess furniture and decors.  Don’t store them in your garage.  Your garage should be clean and clutter free, just like the rest of your house.  Consider storing it temporarily in a relative or friend’s garage.  If you can’t find free storage, invest in a storage company temporarily.  Make sure all your furnishing and decor blend well.  Again, it will be good to ask an opinion of a friend.  If you need to further highlight certain areas of your home, you might want to consider renting some decors and appropriate furniture.

8) Get rid of pets and everything they’ve left behind:  Look for a temporary housing for your pets.  Make sure you deodorize your home to remove all traces of pet odor.  Repair the screens, holes in the wall and anything else where your pet left a mark. 

9) Create an ambience in your home:  Make everything smell and look fresh.  By now, if you’ve done the previous items in my list, you don’t have to do much.  Just buy one of those automatic deodorizer and room freshener sprays.  Let some light in.  Bring in some indoor plants. Put fresh flowers in vases.  Prepare some light music during the open house.

10) Sit-back and Relax:  You’ve done the hard work on your end of the deal, now let you’re agent do the selling.  Set your emotions straight, so when decision time comes…you will be objective in getting the maximum selling price for your home.