How To Increase The Sale Price of Your Home

Declutter and organize as much as possible. Then, declutter again. Get rid of all of your outdated decorations, old bathroom products, kitchen supplies, and anything else you have time to go through. A tidy house will give the impression that there’s plenty of storage space within the house. Be sure that all built-in storage is also organized because buyers will be taking a peek. Although clutter isn’t what they’ll be buying, it has a profoundly negative impact on how somebody experiences the house. If you’re having a hard time parting with your belongings and don’t have space for it, consider asking friends or family if they have any temporary storage space you can use while your house is on the market.

Clean & keep clean. Buyers want to move into a house that has been kept clean. It’s very easy for somebody to confuse a beautiful house for a not-so-beautiful house when the mirrors are foggy and the shower tiles have mildew growing between them. Focus your time on bathrooms and the kitchen, but don’t neglect areas like the garage, and outdoor spaces. The objective is to restore your house to its level of cleanliness when it was first purchased. Be sure to keep up a weekly and daily routine to keep your house clean.

Repair anything a buyer might notice including but not limited to holes in walls, cracked tiles, mineral buildup of showers and sinks, & broken hinges. A buyer is much more likely to put in an offer on a house that has been well cared for. When basic repairs are neglected, it leaves the buyer wondering what else hasn’t been taken care of that can’t be seen.

Depersonalize. Put away any items that might clue in a potential buyer to who or what type of person lives in the house. This includes pictures, names, sports logos. You want your potential buyers to imagine themselves living in the house, which is harder to do when they’re reminded that somebody else already does.. 

Hire a staging company. Research shows that a house sells more quickly and for more money when staged professionally. A well-staged home can distract buyers from aspects they don’t like and buyer’s often associate the beauty of the decorations with the beauty of the home. In some instances it’s been reported to bring a 6-10% increase in the sale price of the house. Staging the living room is the most important, followed by the master bedroom, and third is the kitchen.

Increase curb appeal. First impressions are everything. The outside of your house is going to be the first thing that buyers inspect. And after they’ve gotten a first impression, the rest of the time in the house will be used to justify that impression. It is imperative that you get off on a good foot with buyers by pressure washing your driveway, mulching your flower beds, pulling weeds, and anything else you have the resources to do. Do a quick internet search on ways you can increase curb appeal for some ideas.

Choose a good agent. Hiring a good agent is more important than any of the other tips on this list because they are a living and breathing guide to increasing the money you’ll get from the sale of your home. Talk to them about ways to increase the the chances of a higher sale price in your market, because every market is different.

Upgrade and renovate. Another one of the most effective ways to increase the value of your house is to upgrade and renovate it. Have your agent compare similar homes that are renovated to determine how much a renovation will increase the value of your house. Of course, the cost must be lower than the increase in price for this to work. The highest return on investment usually comes from updating the kitchen and bathrooms. Your agent should be able to determine where your money will be spent most effectively.

Get a great photographer. Nowadays, there is no excuse for not having stunning shots of your house on the MLS and Zillow. A quick google search will clue you in to just how many amazing real estate photographers are in your area. Ask your agent for pictures of previous properties that they have listed before they hire the photographer. If the photos of your house aren’t the best they can be, you’re losing potential buyers before they even visit. When a property has amazing photos, buyers will schedule a showing even if it’s not exactly what they’re looking for. More potential buyers means a higher chance of a great offer. 

Drone photography and 3D tours. Some photographers have licenses to fly drones to take arial photos and video of your house. Others have access to technology that allows them to create a 3D tour so that buyers can click through your home as if they’re walking through it. Studies have shown that including advanced photography like this in your listing will increase it’s chances of selling by 68%.