5 FUNDAMENTAL TIPS TO SELLING YOUR HOUSE

Moving homes can be an intensely emotional process. After all, our home is our safe space. It’s what we come back to after a long day of work, where we long to return to after several weeks of travelling, and where we spend our days making memories.

However, it is often a necessary step one has to take to progress to the next stage in life. Maybe you need a bigger space to start a family, or you’d like to be closer to your new office-whatever the case-you’d want to start thinking about what to do with your current home, whether to rent or sell it.

If you’re planning on selling, here are 5 crucial tips on how to get it off the market in the shortest time possible.

Cut The Clutter

More is more and less is less, but in this case, less is more. In this age of consumerism, we often buy way too many things that we don’t need. Regardless of your arguments, no double-story terrace house needs 4 vacuum cleaners plus a Roomba.

List down all your belongings and separate them into two categories of “NEEDS” and “WANTS”. Next, go through the list of items in the “WANTS” category and mark those that’ll just end up in the storeroom of your new home, untouched for another decade. Finally, ditch your sentimental hoarder self by throwing out all the unnecessary items. Repeat this process several times and voila, you’ll be amazed at how much more space you have.

First impressions are vital when presenting your homes to potential buyers and a cluttered area will make the room seem smaller than it actually is. Get rid of the non-essentials and keep your spaces open.

Photo by tu tu

Fresh Paint, Fresh Impression

When entering a room, the first impression that strikes us are the colours of the interior and the condition of the walls. It doesn’t take a horror fan to understand that old and stained dark paint gives the room a blood-curdling chill. Not only that, dark colours tend to shrink your space.

If your walls are in a darker tone, give them a fresh new look with light, breezy colours, such as off-white and cream. These colours will breathe “life” into your home. You’ll also want to appeal to the masses, as colours are a subjective taste and some visitors might not appreciate funky tones.

Photo by Kara Eads

A note of caution though: You might decide to stay back and not want to move out after seeing your current home in a new light!

Pull In The Crowd With Stellar Pictures

Once you’ve decluttered enough and given your home a simple paint makeover, you’re ready to take some pictures.

Pictures on listings are what give potential buyers an idea of what to expect before viewing the place. Good pictures can attract many viewers while bad ones may make your home look like a haunted house.

Photo by Outsite Co

The safest approach here would be to hire a professional photographer, one that you trust, and let him/her handle the pictures. A good photographer would be able to discern the best lighting and angles to highlight the best areas in your house.

Pleasing The Senses

After your pictures are listed, take a tour around your house and pick out things that need special attention with cleaning. Some corners and material tend to trap dust, which may lead to bad, musty odors and cause irritation, providing an unpleasant experience for viewers and guests. Maybe some floor tiles have been stained over the years; you wouldn’t want visitors paying attention to that would you?

A useful tip would be to bring along a trusted friend with an eye for detail to help you out. This is because you might be accustomed to the dust and smells after having lived in an enclosure for a long time.

So grab a friend (or better yet, a group) and ask them to sniff and look around for whatever that needs to be addressed.

Hire A Really Good Real Estate Agent

Last but not least, hiring the right real estate agent is paramount. A good real estate agent would be aware of the market value of houses in your location and advise you accordingly. An experienced real estate agent would also know how to pitch your house to potential buyers, highlighting the good points of your home while toning down the bad.

Finally, when it reaches the point of discussing purchase price, a good real estate agent’s negotiation skills are something that you would definitely be thankful for.

These 5 tips are simple but indispensable to selling your home. Adieu and all the best!