Spring is an optimum time for home sales as the largest number of buyers start their search. Take advantage of this busiest sales season by sprucing up your home inside and out. Strong curb appeal is extremely important for making the best first impression and you want potential buyers to be delighted when they step inside your front door.
Wash away all signs of winter grime around your property. Scrub ice melt, sand and salt off the driveway and sidewalks. Rent a power washer if necessary. Clean away leaves, sticks and debris and freshen flowerbeds with new mulch. Trim hedges and overhanging branches. Flowers add so much charm, so check out the kinds of plants that will thrive in cool early spring days. Some good choices might include pansies, viola, creeping phlox, alyssum and snapdragons. If it is too early in your area to start bedding plants, put potted plants outside. You can bring them in if frost threatens and they will brighten your front steps and patio. If your lawn is ready to mow, cut it on the diagonal to make your yard appear larger.
Make the front of your house look bright and clean. It’s the first thing buyers see when they arrive for a showing. A fresh coat of paint on the front door is an excellent idea. If the door’s hardware is tarnished beyond repair, replace it. You might need to touch up the paint on exterior trim and the garage doors as well. Buy a new outside mat so everyone can wipe their feet before entering. Clean up your outside furniture and set it in place.
Do everything you can to bring the light into your home. Sell the sparkle! Wash windows inside and out. Polish all the mirrors so they reflect back the light. The heavy drapes that have kept out the winter cold need to be taken down or tied back. Rooms look brighter when the sunshine can stream in unhindered. Try sheers for a lighter look. On mild days, open the windows so the breeze can blow through.
Now that the light is in, make a serious evaluation of what it shows. Clean the carpets and decide if any should be replaced or re-stretched. Shine your tile floors and bleach dull grout. Polish wood floors and keep the dust off. Check for cobwebs in the corners and grit on air registers. Clean window blinds, window sills and all the other nooks and crannies that have gathered winter grime.
Declutter everywhere: closets, basement, cupboards and garage. Toss and donate the things you no longer need and get a head start packing away the items you will move to your new home. Minimize table top decorations and wall hangings. Your house will feel bigger when you remove unnecessary clutter and it will be ready for staging the rooms to show.
Put plenty of focus on the kitchen and bathrooms. Even if they haven’t been updated recently, a few simple fixes, such as caulking or new faucets, can give them a fresh look. Check all your doors, door frames and cabinets for nicks. Repair them with a good scratch cover or touch up the paint where necessary. Replace old, droopy shower curtains. If you make some small repairs, your home will have a polished look. It’s easy to ignore these little fixes, but the flaws may really jump out at the potential buyers.
When you’re finally ready, get your house on the market right away. It’s better to be first on the market before you have a lot of competition. All the shining, primping and decluttering you’ve done will pay off. Your potential buyers may not even know why they find your home so appealing, but they’ll have a feeling they are seeing a clean, well-cared-for residence that may be perfect for their next home.