Prepare Your Home
PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR SALE
REACH Properties knows how to prepare your home for sale: Curb appeal, home improvements, and staging. One of the first things to do before putting your house on the market is prepare your house for sale. Your house needs to be shown off in its best light to maximize your earning potential. Tour your house with the eye of a buyer - what works, what doesn't work.
CURB APPEAL
Does your house have curb appeal? What can be done to draw the buyer in? Would a bit of touch-up paint add dollars to the sale? What about the garden?
First impressions count. Be sure that the lawn is mowed, raked and neatly edged. Prune trees and bushes. If your garden is not currently in bloom add colorful annuals to the front on your house. These steps will make a big difference in curb appeal and will add dollars to your house's final selling price!
Click to see your CURB APPEAL CHECKLIST.
HOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT SELL YOUR HOUSE
If you're thinking about remodeling your kitchen, or finishing your basement, you probably want to get your investment back when you sell your home. But when it comes to payback value of home improvements, some are definitely more profitable than others. As a general rule, kitchen and bathroom projects usually get a nice return on investment, typically 90% or more. Things like adding rooms or finishing basements tend to pay back the least. Finishing a basement usually returns less than 50%, so it's not a project likely to show profit at selling time.
There are a number of factors that go into determining how well a project will give the best return. Payback value depends a lot on the current market conditions in your area. If the market is hot and homes are selling fast, you can expect a higher payback value than you would get in a slow market.
The type of project you do and how it fits in with other homes in the area can have a big influence on payback too. If you put your money into the wrong type of improvement, you won't get your money back. But if you're smart about what you do, you can make money. The payback will be better on improvements that are in demand and conform to neighborhood standards.
Adding a second bathroom in a neighborhood where most homes have two bathrooms will give a high return on investment. Building a large addition that makes your home twice as big as the other homes on the block probably won't pay back very well. Likewise, the popularity of a project will factor into how much it pays back. An improvement heavily customized to your wants and needs won't pay back as well as something more common to other homes in the neighborhood.
Another factor to consider is the cost of the improvements. If you can do the work yourself, you can save significantly on the cost of the project and greatly improve the chances of getting a good return on the investment.
- Kitchen remodel - 90%
- Add a bathroom – 90%
- Bathroom remodeling – 80%
- Install central heating – 90%
- Install central air – 75%
- Add a deck – 70%
- Replace windows – 70%
- Add a room – 55%
- Build a pool – 45%
- Finish a basement – 40%
STAGING YOUR HOUSE
WELCOME HOME. Does your house say "Welcome home" to a buyer? Looking through the eyes of a buyer, what changes will enhance sales appeal?
Eliminate anything that gives the appearance of clutter. Countertops should be free and clear. Knickknacks, souvenirs, family photos, refrigerator artwork should be removed. By "de-personalizing" the house buyers can imagine it as their home.
Closets and cupboards should appear large and roomy. Make a donation to a local charity or store belongings at a friend's or family member's home.
Review your home room-by-room. Should any furniture be removed to make a cramped space feel larger? Do any rooms need new paint or carpet? Be sure to polish fixtures and clean windows throughout your house. These are improvements that can easily be made to promote the sale of your house.
SETTING THE STAGE. Before the first buyer walks in your door, set the stage to engage the buyers senses. Lighting is critical. Draw back curtains, open blinds, change light bulbs and add lighting where needed to welcome the buyer. Air fresheners are a great way to ensure a pleasing aroma emanates from every room.
