When we, as homeowners, go to sell our house, what’s the first thing we do? Usually, we grab all the junk lying around the house, trim the grass, clean out our garage and hope for the best. And if we consider ourselves “over-achievers,” we might throw a fresh coat of paint on the exterior of our home.
While all of these tactics are good places to start, they’re only the tip of the iceberg. If you’re currently putting your house on the market here are the tips and techniques you need to know. And remember this: with hard work and a little bit of luck, you’ll be able to sell your Florida home for a respectable profit in the weeks to come. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Take Your Home’s Curb Appeal Seriously
Before we tackle the interior of our home, we need to address how our property looks from another person’s view. And your curbside appeal isn’t anything to scoff at, either. A study conducted by the University of Michigan found that homes with aesthetically pleasing appearances sold for, on average, 5% to 11% higher than average houses.
But what does boosting our curb appeal mean, exactly? Trimming your grass, pulling weeds, lining the edges around walkways and keeping your bushes maintained is ideal. From here, consider the following lawn care options:
- Mulch
- Flower bed
- Additional trees and shrubs
- Window boxes
- Wood borders
Step 2: Light It Up, Baby!
Continuing the curbside-appeal approach, installing additional lighting on focal points throughout your property is imperative. Let’s be honest, installing light bulbs and mounting brackets is anything but fun, but when the sun starts to set and a buyer drives by your property, it makes all the difference.
If you have minimal funds for additional lighting, we recommend focusing on the entranceway before tackling any other area. A well-lit walkway leading from your driveway to the main door is a very seductive bargaining tool when selling your home. We always recommend homeowners use soft lighting that utilizes yellows, whites and white-blue bulbs.
Step 3: Address The Integrity And Cleanliness Of Your Home’s Exterior
To put it bluntly, not every home needs a fresh paint job to sell for a higher price. However, any home that’s older than a few years desperately needs some attention. With that said, it’s time to bring out the power washer!
When you first purchased your home, what color was it? Before you start laughing, remember that a thick layer of dirt, grime, tree sap and other particles are preventing your home from achieving its full potential.
Once you’re ready to go, we recommend covering your plants, flowerbeds, grass and other valuable items with a large tarp or industrial-strength plastic. This cover will prevent harmful materials and chemicals from contaminating or killing your plants and shrubs while you’re cleaning.
After everything is covered, begin spraying the exterior of your home with your homemade cleaning solution. To save time and energy, work in small sections rather than the entire house in one go. Once the area is covered, wait for about 15 or 20 minutes so the product can get inside the hard-to-reach crevices and pores of your home’s building materials.
If all else fails and your home doesn’t look like the sparkling gem you envisioned it to be, consider painting it before listing it on the market. As tempting as it may be to paint your home neon pink or orange, don’t follow through with this idea. According to a report by a popular home-selling domain, houses that have charcoal gray and black exteriors sell for higher margins than properties that utilize other colors.
Step 4: Complete The “Little Projects” Around The House
Do you have a small task, such as installing a pool cage screen repair, that you’ve procrastinated on for months or years? Honestly, a pool cage screen repair could mean the difference between making a few hundred, or possibly thousand, dollars above your initial sale price. Here’s what to consider while moving forward with your home:
- Installing new toilets
- Changing out old faucets
- Fixing the wiring in the basement lighting fixtures
- Painting interior walls
- Utilizing new light switch covers
- Repair your mailbox
- Buy new flood and motion-detecting lights
- Clean street-facing windows
- Dust the furniture
- Remove gunk from the chimney
- Consider staging services
- Floor renewal
- Decluttering cabinets and closets
As you can see, these projects and tasks are easy to implement and accomplish. Set aside a few weekends to tackle each of the nagging items on your “to-do” list, and before you know it, your house will become a forever home for a new family.
