Springtime brings longer days, warmer afternoons and more people looking to buy homes. Sellers wanting to take advantage of the sudden annual upswing of consumers in the real estate market should avoid some common mistakes when showcasing their home.
Get Prepared Early
According to the Washington Post, late winter is the time to start preparing for spring showings. Cleaning and repair projects are time-consuming whether the seller is doing them personally or supervising contractors. Having a good idea of who you’d like to work with prior to listing your home can help streamline the selling process.
Avoid showing a dark house
Adding light to a room always adds to its display values, and the easiest way to add brightness is to really clean the windows. According to the Philadelphia Gazette, motivated sellers have to be ready to go beyond a quick pass with Windex, washing inside and out and also removing the screens. Thorough cleaning takes more time, but is less expensive than making a major repair.
Clutter is always to be shunned
When preparing their home for display, sellers often become too attached to personal decorative touches like china or antique books.
"They're a distraction to buyers," professional home-stager Caroline Carter told the Washington Post, noting that these items should be put away when homes are straightened up in preparation for showings.
Such house cleanings should not only involve public areas as sellers should also make sure to clean out odd areas like refrigerators, as some prospective buyers will look.
Look through a buyer's eyes
Springtime offers unique chances to display the exterior of a home to best effect with blooming fauna and warmer temperatures, according to the Philadelphia Gazette, but homeowners can become almost blind to how their house looks to a buyer walking up to it.
The Gazette reports that before getting into decorative projects, sellers should first clean up their lawns. Sweeping, raking, removing debris and cleaning up plantings can both improve and enlarge a yard. After this, maintaining a lush green lawn and adding eye catching flowers as plantings are recommended finishing touches. A well-maintained yard is attractive and has the ability to tell buyers subconsciously that the house is maintained and well cared for.
