It’s time to move on. Literally. Time to sell your home and you want to spruce things up, maybe renovate here and there. But you’re hesitating because you may not have the budget to fix up all the things you think your home may need to make it “market-ready.” Your real estate agent warns you from taking on too much. So, you think you’ll forget about it. Besides, every buyer expects to do a little work to make your home their home, right?
Well, no, not statistically speaking. Most home buyers want a home that’s move-in ready so they don’t have to do anything except argue about curtains. Less than 20% choose a fixer-upper. So, go ahead and tackle that basement, but do it wisely. Use these top tips to sell your home. There were $394 billion in total home improvement sales in the U.S. This includes all the materials and manpower needed to fix up the home.
How to fix up your home
When you hear the word, renovation, you might think of contractors coming into your home tearing out walls. But renovating only means that your modernizing or you’re updating anything that’s outdated, falling apart, or needs repair. In some cases, you’ll be able to do some of the work yourself. Think of it in small increments first. Maybe all your home needs is a deep clean. Getting rid of clutter, a fresh coat of paint, and scrub down of the bathrooms. Okay, so bathroom cleaning is too icky for you? Looking into hiring a home cleaning service. They can come either once and that’s it or once a month until your house is on the market. Trained professionals can come in and do the dirty work. You have enough on your plate and with experienced cleaners, you won’t have to worry about cleaning supplies or spending an hour trying to find the toilet bowl scrubbers.
Other top tips to sell your home include: new cabinetry or painting existing cabinetry, redoing the landscaping, and painting. Painting a room is not that tough, it’s something that can be done as a weekend project. You’re not alone in wanting to do it yourself and do it less expensively. And in 2018, most homeowners spent between $5,000 and $10,000 improving their homes. It may seem like a lot all at once, but spreading it out over a few months can help manage the costs. It’s also a good idea to establish your budget now before you start burning through cash.
Plumbers can help you with the temperamental garbage disposals. Most plumbers will offer drain cleaning services. And it’s a good thing to get this clean before you show your home. Bad smells from your garbage disposal unit are often caused by bacteria that linger in places where you can’t (and shouldn’t) clean. Before you move, some home inspectors ask if you’ve had your septic tank emptied. It’s recommended to pump out your septic tank every three years. Although it depends on how many people live in the home. Just because a truck says: Septic Tank Cleaning on its side, doesn’t mean it’s the appropriate cleaner for you. When you invest in good septic tank cleaning, you’ll want to read plenty of online reviews before choosing the right option. While doing it yourself if possible, it’s best to leave this to the professionals.
Some serious cleanup might be necessary on the tough-to-reach parts of your house. If you have any kind of flood or fire damage, your home is going to need a serious scrub. If you need smoke damage cleanup, it’s best to hire the most qualified professionals—but check with your insurance company first. These types of repairs and cleanups may be cover under your homeowner’s insurance policy. A clean, fresh look to your home is a great way to give it a renovated feel, without the price tag. And if you’re doing major cleanup, don’t forget what’s inside the attic or the garage. You may not need to haul away the stored items. Maybe all you need to do is organize your spaces. Make sure everything is accessible and well-labeled. It will help immensely when you begin to pack for your big move.
How’s your air quality?
Clean air is always worth the price tag. When you show your house, keep one of these top tips to sell your home in mind. That is: your home needs to breathe. It’s heating and cooling system should be up-to-date. You don’t want to have potential buyers noticing a moldy or dusty smell. You may have noticed that older homes have issues that keep certain smells in the air—as though the home has body odor. Depending on the small, you’ll need to address the problem. Maybe it’s your old air conditioning system. You can get a quote or advice from home air conditioner contractors. Refresh your air and invest in a good HVAC system. These systems control your home’s overall feel and help with air quality. You always want your home to smell fresh and new, not old and moldy. If that smell is in one area, look for small, air purifying portable units. One of the top tips to sell your home is to improve the inside aroma by using diffusers. Scent diffusers can be as simple as sticks placed in vials of oil or oils heated over small candles. The scent from the oils is heated and released into the air. Some diffusers with a power source can humidify your air 24/7. The nice thing about these diffusers is that they are portable so you can take them with you when you move.
Update your roof
Hiring roofing contractors to update the material or color of your roof is a great way to not only modernize, but it can increase the value of your home. But don’t forget about your gutters. Drooping, rusting, unpainted gutters can take away from the look of your exterior. Look into gutter replacement. While repairing your roof is more expensive than replacing gutters, gutters are more noticeable. Also, consider seamless gutters. They are accustom made, often aluminum and won’t clog up like regular open gutters. No matter who performs the repairs, replacement, or installation, keep track of the information, the materials, guarantees, or warranties.
Spruce up the outside
If you are in an older home—say, 30 to 40 years or more, you’ll need to get many of the outside elements replaced. Typically, exterior renovations are a bit on the pricey side, but you’ll be able to get your money back in the sale of your home. New house siding is available in a variety of colors and textures. One of the top tips to sell your home is to give your exterior an update. There are plenty of options with vinyl siding if you want an authentic wood look. Manufacturers have vinyl siding and accessories that look just like wood, stone, and other natural siding. You may want to leave the siding installation to the professionals. There are steps to the process that you can forget, such as house wrap. A house wrap is a water barrier used to cover the exterior of a house before the siding is put on. You need to remember that aside from the roof, the siding is the only protection from the elements and sudden bad weather.
No more mold in your bathroom
You won’t need a huge makeover, because there are plenty of natural ways to get rid of that major smelly bathroom problem. You can combine borax and white vinegar with water and pour into a spray bottle. You can use this solution on painted walls. After you spray, scrub well, then dry. Other solutions to discourage mold is to use bleach and water in a 1:2 solutions that you can spray on the areas where mold shows up. One of the top tips to sell your home is to make your bathrooms easy to clean. What this means is that your bathroom should be simple, without too many items or fixtures that need attention. The design of most of today’s bathrooms is bright, sleek, and simple. Designs that discourage the growth of mold. Mold removal is nearly impossible to remove once it’s discolored any surface—tile, paint, plastic, or even textiles.
Ditch the pests
One of the top tips to sell your home is to get rid of the unwanted guests. If your home was once a mouse hotel, and you’ve done your best to bring it up to date, you still might have a critter problem. They just keep coming back. And multiplying. They’re not only using your home as a permanent lodging, but they’re trashing it. Holes, chewed wood or plastic, mouse dirt, and scattered piece of food all indicate that your home is not your own. All-natural “mouse-be-gone” methods include using peppermint oil in places where you have seen mouse dirt. You can also seal up the house where they may be getting in. You can set traps in the basement, attic, or in closets. If you’re too squeamish, there are many companies that do residential pest removal. They can swiftly rid your home of termites or mice or anything else that is making your home dirty or old. When the mice are gone, replace baseboards with composite materials like polystyrene, which is more flexible than wood.
Invest in home security
Homes that are secure are often the ones that sell quickly. Any kind of home security systems are a great way to demonstrate that your listed home is guarded. Among the top tips to sell your home is to show that you’ve got lights and cameras in the right places. The installation of home systems may be done by the homeowner. Investing in home security lighting is an excellent idea whether or not you’re selling your home. There are plenty of options. You can choose motion-sensing lights or solar-power security lighting. These are marketed as environmentally-friendly solutions. But also remember you’ll need something else to monitor the inside to keep your family and possessions safe. If you’d rather an expert do it, look for systems that come with money-back guarantees and customized installation. Also, look for systems that come with battery backup should you lose power. Lights should illuminate all angles of your property. It’s possible to get sound advice from your home or hardware store salespeople to find lights or lighting systems that you could install yourself. These are the experts who see what sells and what doesn’t.
Preparing to sell
As you get down to the closing, be prepared. One of the best top tips to sell your home, is not to panic, even after you’ve handed over the keys. When your buyer is about to sign the papers, they may look at you with a jaundiced eye. So many questions, so many fees. One of the fees built into the closing cost is home title insurance. This is the bank’s way of protecting themselves and the buyer if there are claims on your home that suggest that maybe you don’t own it outright and that mean you can’t legally sell it. windows.
If disputes over title ownership arise after the purchase, the insurance policy pays for any legal fees to resolve them. Other home repair tricks include giving your windows a new look. If replacing all your windows is not within your budget, window sealing might be the better option. The cleaner caulking or sealing tape can make your home appear more up to date. Another bonus is that sealed windows can go a long way in making your home less drafty. Sealing windows allows you to insulate your home, and may even lower your electric bill.
Many top tips to sell your home range from the simple to the complex. They can be something you can do yourself or you can hire a professional to complete the task for you. Regardless of your choice, get it in writing from the contractors. If you’re a DIY-er, take your time and do it right. That way you’ll only do it once.
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