Real Estate Matters
By Elisa Jo Eagan
With winter wrapping up and Saint Patrick’s Day this weekend, are you considering selling your home this spring?
Spring is an ideal time to sell a home, and with a little more than luck, it is a well-known fact that both the number of buyers and inventory increase during the months of March, April, May, and June. This often means that your home could be paired against some stiff competition. Here are some simple tips to help your spring listing stand out:
Stay Ahead of the Home Inspectors
If you know that a home inspector will find something wrong with your home, it is advantageous to get it fixed before the inspection. Potential buyers will appreciate the updates, and it will probably cost you less to have it fixed beforehand. It also reduces the possibility of buyers placing certain contingencies on the contract.
Declutter Indoor Spaces
Has extra clutter accumulated from the winter? Time to purge! Consider donating excess items and clothing to a local shelter, mission, or charitable thrift shop. Potential buyers are more likely to enjoy your home if it is clutter-free. Tidy spaces also help rooms appear larger – a win-win for you and a potential buyer.
Decluttering can be stressful and difficult. Here are some ideas to simplify the process:
With sentimental clutter, certainly, you will want to preserve the family memories by living in the present while remembering the past.
Scan What You Can
Scan and upload paper memories. Awards, photos, artwork, essays, and other treasured paper documents can still be kept and remembered without physically taking up space.
Scan the items and upload the image to a digital folder on a cloud data storage service. This way they don’t take up physical space and are accessible at any time from anywhere without the risk of losing them. Hang onto favorites; hang them up and bring them with you to your next home.
Resume Yard Work
March is the time to clean up what winter left behind. Remove all dead leaves and debris from your property. Don’t allow overgrown vegetation to block windows and sidewalks. Trim down large bushes and branches to showcase the exterior of your home. Plant some spring flowers in the front, either in flower boxes, pottery, or in a bed to add a pop of color and improve your first impression/curb appeal.
Deep Clean the Exterior
Like the cover of a book, the exterior is just as important as the interior. Consider power washing the siding, sidewalk, and driveway. A potential buyer will be much more interested if the siding and walkways are all freshly cleaned. Power washing is also an inexpensive improvement. If you are up to it, you can rent a machine and do it yourself.
Brighten Up Your Color Palette
The days are becoming brighter, and so should your decor. Accent pieces can be easily replaced to incorporate soft spring colors (yellows, pinks, lavenders, light blues even turquoise). Bright sofa pillows will lighten up a room and make potential buyers feel welcome.
Consider painting cabinets and small furniture pieces with a pop of color. Paint can be a cost-effective way to breathe new life into your home. You will be surprised at the transformation a simple can of paint can make for your home.
These tips will help you set the stage for a successful spring sale of your home!
In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day, here is an Irish blessing to you:
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind always be at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
And until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the palm of his hand
Amen.
With hugs and warm regards.
For more home selling and buying real estate advice, feel free to contact Elisa Jo Eagan @ (609) 703-0432 and visit TheRealEstateGodmother.com.
