On the Market: Steps You Should Take Before Showing Your Home

Showing a home can be an excellent way to receive more interest on it and get it sold faster. A home showing may be the determining factor for many buyers and nerve-wracking for any seller since you feel pressure to get great results. Putting your home’s best foot forward can be a challenge, especially when you’re ready to just move on and get into your new place. Fortunately, there are some helpful tips to consider and use before showing. Make sure you take the time to show off your space to its best advantage and give your home a boost on the market in the process. 

Lighten Up and Paint

A wonderful starting point in terms of enhancing any space is to repaint specific rooms. A fresh coat of paint can re-work tired walls, lighten rooms, and give a new touch to an older home. While considering paint colors, look at neutral colors. The color white or off-white can be great to match with many types of décor. You might also consider creams, light browns, or greys. Whether you decide to go with white or a different color, remember that a lighter tone gives brightness to a room and can give people the sense that it is bigger than it really is. Don’t forget about accent walls. Choosing a bold, dark color can be great for highlighting an area and giving dimension to an otherwise boring space. Since you’re just showing, make sure it isn’t too flashy. You don’t want to drive away buyers with too much color.

Open and Shut

The doors and windows must also be considered. After all, both are seen from the interior and exterior of a home and have a lot to do with buyer’s first impressions. Replace old or broken fixtures on windows, and repaint or smooth out old windowsills. Consider the doors that may need to be replaced. The front or backdoor may be worn or warped due to the elements or frequent use. While it can be easy to ignore a door that is older, a new door is a welcoming sight for many people. A new door can be also be an excellent way to keep a home from losing heat or cold air throughout the year. Companies like Fas Windows and Doors can help with installation and replacements making your job that much easier.
If you can’t afford a whole new door or frame, just take the time to repaint and sand down impurities. A little curb appeal on the exterior here goes a long way.

Play with Visuals

During a home showing, you want to keep things as neutral as possible for buyers to picture themselves inside. This means putting away some family photos, piles of magazines, and other clutter. While this is great for setting a scene and opening up space, you don’t want to have everything bland or boring either. Splash up some corners with color and use visuals to create a mood or theme. This could be as simple as throw pillows or a plush rug, or more elaborate with candles, small decorations, and using mirrors and frames.

Make sure you open up the space as well. Put away decorative furniture into storage and keep walkways open and inviting. The more space buyers can see, the more enticing it becomes. The key is getting a good balance between your negative and positive filled space.

Landscaping

Curb appeal outdoors means everything when showing a house. Don’t shy away from a little landscaping. Even if it’s as simple as planting new flowers and adding potted plants to the porch, or as complex as repaving a bumpy driveway, the outside should be looking its best. Mow the lawn and wash down windows and dirty siding. Be sure your yard looks clear and free of debris or clutter. If possible, make sure trees and bushes are pruned back and looking nice. A dead tree out back may not bother you, but a prospective buyer will notice at once. Try to look at your yard and lawn as an outsider before doing any work.

Whether homeowners decide to invest in some inexpensive bathroom rugs, home décor, or other ideas in order to enhance the look of a room, investing in these other fixtures is a fine way to appeal to prospective buyers. Although each home is unique, following these and similar tips can make a huge difference in your showing and how fast your home is sold as a result. Make sure you provide a good balance of open, new home, and a cozy, familiar feel. Ask a realtor for advice if possible as well, since they might be more familiar with what buyers are looking for at the moment or in your area.