Make Your Home Irresistible to Buyers

When selling your home is a priority, you need to realize that an ordinary home with ordinary features is not going to grab potential buyers’ attention.  You need to go beyond ordinary and make your home irresistible to every homebuyer.

Regardless of whether you have owned your home for one year or forty years, you will probably need to make some changes to attract people who are looking to buy a home.  You probably loved your home when you bought it, so why shouldn’t you want to make people fall in love with it too? Naturally, you should! 

Here are some ideas for making your home feel more open, airy and inviting.  Years of experience have taught realtors what people like and dislike when they look at homes for sale.  Learn from these experiences in order to make selling your home an exciting and pain-free process.

Apply a Fresh Coat of Light-Colored, Neutral Paint to Your Walls
The people who are considering buying your home want to see what it looks like.  Keeping this in mind, repaint any dark rooms with white or neutral paint.  You may prefer darkly colored rooms, but most buyers will be able to imagine their furniture more easily in a neutral-colored room.

White ceilings are always preferable.  If time is of the essence and you cannot paint entire rooms, quickly adding coat of white paint to the ceilings can make all the difference in the world.

Remove Flowered Wallpaper
Despite your personal home-decorating preferences, many homebuyers are turned off by wallpaper.  This is particularly true when the wallpaper contains large or brightly colored flowers.  If time allows, remove the wallpaper and paint the walls. 

Painting over wallpaper is never a good idea. The biggest reason for this is that painted-over wallpaper looks terrible.  Potential buyers will realize that the paint has been applied to wallpaper that they will need to remove after buying the home.  Paint makes the removal process more difficult, so if you decide not to remove the wallpaper, just leave it alone.

Add New Ceiling Fans and Light Fixtures
As mentioned earlier, buyers like bright interiors.  They also like airy homes.  Therefore, installing a few ceiling fans or updating the fans you already have could help you convey the desired bright and airy feel to potential homebuyers.

Avoid Clutter at All Costs
Some real-estate agents will fail to tell you that clutter is a home’s worst deterrent for homebuyers.  People find it difficult to imagine how their own furnishings will fit into a room full of clutter.  Clutter also tends to make rooms appear smaller.

One of the ways that you can get ready for your own move while preparing to sell is to hold a garage sale or to make a large donation to a local charity.  You will need to sort through your belongings at some point, so why not start now? Begin with those things that always though you might use, but have been sitting in the attic since you put them there ten years ago.

Minimalism is best when you are trying to sell a home.  If possible, pack up some of your smaller décor items and leave out only a few conversation pieces.  If you plan to sell during the holidays, try to achieve a festive spirit without overdoing your decorating.

Place a Fresh Wreath or Floral Spray on Your Front Door
Buyers want to be welcomed by homes.  Placing a tasteful wreath or other decoration on your front door welcomes people into your home, making a huge difference in how fondly buyers remember your home.

You can extend the welcome further by placing similar décor items throughout the home. Stay away from eucalyptus and other strong odors, because they might be an irritant to buyers with sensitive nasal passages or allergies.

Pay Attention to What’s Happening in Your Kitchen
It’s always a good idea to have a clean kitchen, but when you are trying to sell a home you need to go beyond simple cleanliness.  If you know that a potential buyer is coming in this afternoon, bake brownies.  The scent will linger, making your home more inviting. Just be careful not to burn your tempting delicacies!  

Buyers may subconsciously or consciously notice scents in the homes they visit.  Quickly dispose of any foul-smelling scraps or rotting produce. While your home is for sale, check daily for possible odor sources in your kitchen.

Wash your dishes and put them away, making sure that your countertops are immaculate.  Also, sweep your kitchen floor frequently to minimize dirt and crumbs.

Modernize Your Master Bedroom
Master bedrooms and master suites are extremely popular right now.  Therefore, if you want to wow a potential buyer, consider what is most fashionable and popular.  Visit a home-decorating supply store or look online for ideas that might help you to add new zing to your bedroom.

Even a new quilt or comforter can make a big difference for potential buyers.  The master bedroom is the homeowner’s sanctuary. Therefore, neutral tones are the best option.   Consider a light shade of green or blue as an accent color, since these tones create a relaxing and calming environment. 
 
Consider the Value of Landscaping
In the past, a freshly mown lawn and some flowerbeds at the front of a home were enough to attract potential buyers.  This still holds true in some areas, but many of today’s homebuyers are looking for homes with attractive landscapes that do not require much maintenance.

If you hire a landscaper, ask him or her about what is most popular in your area.  Request that he or she use shrubs and plants that require little maintenance.  A good ground cover will reduce the need for weeding, saving you time while you are selling your home and making the home look maintenance-free from the curb. 

Curb appeal is extremely important in the world of real estate, particularly since internet listings with photos are becoming increasingly common.  Your home needs to be as photogenic as possible.

These are some simple ways to capture potential homebuyers’ attention and make them feel welcome in your home.  A little effort on your part will greatly improve your chances of selling quickly. Of course, a few tasteful upgrades will also increase the value of your home.

Your realtor will be happy to work with you to maximize your home’s attractiveness to potential buyers.  Realtors know what buyers are looking for and how you can give those things to them! Years of experience have taught realtors what is most popular in your area, and what kind of home décor is most attractive to potential buyers. Listen to their advice, and then act upon it.