Small Improvements to Sell Your Home Faster

If you're interested in selling your home small homes making those long-needed improvements first. The little home improvement and repair projects that you never quite got around to in the past can make a big difference in the price you'll get for home. Since many homeowners are anxious to sell, they often overlook the little things that will make a big difference. What sellers tend to forget is that you rarely get a second chance to make a first impression. Here's a small checklist of things all homeowners should check and do before inviting prospective buyers into their home: Clean the house - This should be an obvious one, but is often overlooked to some extent. The house should be thoroughly cleaned before showing it to buyers. You can start by making sure prospects can access every part of your home including closets, the garage and attic. Then consider: Carpet cleaning - Carpeting is often the leading cause of odors in the home. Steam-clean all the carpets in your home to remove odors and dirt. Steam cleaning only takes a few hours and will definitely give your home a fresh feel, smell and look. Kitchen cleaning - The kitchen is one of the most important selling points of your home. If you've got dishes in the sink from last night and odors escaping from your garbage can, potential buyers won't even be comfortable looking around the kitchen, let alone want to buy it. Keep you sink empty and counter tops and appliances clean. While you're cleaning up, make sure the insides of your cabinets are also in order. Taking a few minutes to neatly arrange items in the cabinets will pay-off as prospects tend to open cabinets to see how much space there is. Not only will they appreciate your tidiness, but your cabinets will also look larger. Painting - Don't worry, I'm not going to suggest that you paint your entire home before trying to sell. Just touch-up the big stuff. Most scuff marks can be found around your home's exterior, doorways, baseboard, railings and chair rail. It's amazing how a few quick paint touch-ups can give your home a fresh look. Doors - Do all the doors in your home open smoothly and close firmly? This includes exterior, interior, closet, sliding and any other doors in your home. Guaranteed, buyers will try to open and close every door they come in contact with. If so, resolving these issues is quick and easy and will be worth the time. Exterior improvements - Start by standing in front of your home and taking a careful look. Is your home's exterior pleasant enough that a potential buyer would be excited to go inside? Take care of the big things: water and mow the lawn, plant fresh flowers and pressure clean your driveway and sidewalks, etc. A poorly maintained lawn and exterior is a sure sign to buyers that the home has not been cared for. These quick improvements are cheap to do and can make a big difference in the impression you leave on potential buyers. All too often, little things are overlooked that immediately turn the buyer off to making an offer or coming back for a second visit. If you're not sure what to do, ask a friend or neighbor to walk through your house and point out things that would concern them if they were considering buying your home. In a tough real estate market, following the tips in this guide may have an unexpected impact the amount you can sell for and the time it takes you to do so.