Getting your Birmingham house prepared for the market is an important part of the selling process. Homes that are in good condition, up to date, well-staged, and clean sell more quickly and for a higher price. Buyers are drawn to homes that appear to be well maintained and that won’t take a lot of work. Plus, buyers are more likely to buy homes where they can see themselves and their families living comfortably.
To make sure this is the impression that you give buyers, it’s important to spend time and money getting your house ready for the market. This is why it’s so important to start early. It can take a lot of work, but it’s often necessary, especially if your home is in poor condition, in need of upgrades, or not in a great location.
Must-Dos When Prepping Your Home for the Market
To make sure that your home doesn’t sit on the market for months without any interest or offers, there are a few things that you have to do before listing. Here are some must-dos you should keep in mind if you’re planning to list your home.
Declutter
A cluttered, messy home is a major turnoff to buyers. Too much furniture, bulky furniture, and too much stuff makes a home feel cramped, small, and uncomfortable. In contrast, a decluttered space is inviting and makes spaces seem larger.
As a result, this is an essential step in preparing your house for the market. When decluttering and minimizing spaces, make sure that you don’t overlook closets and drawers. Storage is an important issue for buyers and crowded and messy closets give the impression that the home doesn’t have enough storage.
With this in mind, you want to clean closets and storage spaces, make sure that furniture fits comfortably in the room, and reduce clutter throughout the house.
Paint
It’s important to depersonalize your home when you’re getting it ready for the market because you want buyers to see themselves living there. Painting the walls, a neutral color can help to do this. Plus, a fresh coat of paint throughout the house is a great way to make everything look newer, brighter, and cleaner.
Focus on Curb Appeal
The outside of your home is the first thing that buyers see and often determines whether buyers take the time to look at the inside of your house. Given the importance of a strong first impression, you need to do more than simply mow the yard and pick up leaves. Obviously, it’s important that your yard is well maintained before and while it’s listed, but you’ll also want to consider:
- Repainting the front door and any other areas needing a touchup; if there is peeling paint anywhere on the exterior, you’ll definitely want to touch that up
- Pressure washing the roof to make sure it looks well maintained
- Landscaping the front yard to make the space more inviting
- Adding flowers or hanging plants
- Updating the mailbox
- Adding address numbers to the curb or house
- Decluttering the area – removing excess toys, outdoor furniture, sporting equipment, etc.
Complete Any Needed Repairs
This is often one of the most tedious aspects of preparing a home for the market, but it’s important to spend time fixing anything that needs to be repaired. For example, cracked windows, loose door handles, roof problems, broken fixtures, or dented doors.
Almost every home has a number of small repairs that need to be done. While it’s tempting to put these off, you’ll likely have to address them during the inspection process anyway. Rather than waiting, be proactive about making all needed repairs.
Even if they are only small problems, when buyers see things that need to be fixed, it makes them think that the home is not well maintained. This is a problem not only because most buyers don’t want to do a lot of work but also because it makes them wonder what other problems the house might have.
To avoid this, make a list of all needed repairs, big and small, and complete them all before listing your house.
Update and Upgrade as Much as Possible
It’s harder to sell a home that is outdated and in need of major updates. This is a challenge for many sellers that can’t complete the necessary upgrades. But, while you might not be able to do a complete renovation, there are still some things you can do to make your home look a little more current.
Small changes like new faucets, new fixtures, or new hinges can help to make your home look fresher and a little more modern. Completing as many small upgrades as you can make a big difference in the overall feel of your home.
Final Touches to Get Your House Ready
In the weeks before your house is ready to list, you want to focus on the final touches: deep cleaning, some thoughtful staging, and finishing touches like fresh flowers. These finishing touches help to make sure your home is ready for listing photos and showings.
This is why it’s so important to start prepping your house long before you’re ready to list it. You need to finish bigger tasks like repairs, painting, landscaping, and decluttering well before you’re ready to list. This will give you time in the final weeks to focus on the final details that could make all the difference when it comes to selling your home.
A Faster and Easier Way to Sell Your Birmingham House
Prepping a house for the market is a long, time-consuming, and expensive process. If you don’t have the time, energy, or resources to put into it, you should consider alternative ways to sell your house.
In the Birmingham area, Home Buyers Birmingham pays cash for houses in any condition. This means that sellers don’t have to worry about things like repairs or upgrades. It’s a quick and easy way to sell your home as-is. Contact Home Buyers Birmingham to learn more or to get your cash offer.
Home Buyers Birmingham
1821 11th Avenue South Suite #55331
Birmingham, Alabama 35205
