Spring’s warm weather invariably beckons buyers, making it a prime time to list your Asheville home. However, that same motivation also inspires other sellers to crowd the market. While it may seem overwhelming to stay ahead of the flurry, taking early steps to prepare for a sale will ensure less stress when your home hits the market. Here are some ways to get a leg up from the outset.
De-Clutter Before Selling Your Home
This may seem like an obvious first step, but sellers are often unsure of how thoroughly they should pare down their presentation. Start with those stacks of books and papers, unnecessary items crowding your kitchen and bathroom counters, shelves piled high with knickknacks, clothes cluttering the closets, and the like. Art is fine, but put away family and personal photos – you want potential buyers to see themselves, not you, in the home. Streamline furnishings and keep hallways and paths free of any objects that can impede the flow of the home.
Pinpoint and Eliminate Small Flaws
Turn a critical eye to your home and you’re sure to uncover little flaws long overlooked. That unused curtain rod or those damaged blinds will most definitely distract, no matter how new the windows. Mismatched, outdated door fixtures and cabinet handles are an easy early fix that will leave the buyer with the impression of a clean, attractive aesthetic. An inexpensive chandelier can help to define a dining room, doing double duty if the light fixture needs updating anyway. And don’t neglect simple improvements to your exterior: Cleaning gutters and replacing broken ones not only improves the appearance of your home, but can help to mitigate musty odors often associated with backed-up drainage. Small improvements can pay off in a big way.
Boost Curb Appeal
Landscaping is an economical way to improve a buyer’s first impressions. And during the spring, it’s easy to surround your home in the season’s glorious green and vibrant color to boost appeal. Adding sod, small bushes, or a focal point like a stone walkway can enhance your home immensely. If you don’t have the funds for a full exterior paint job, coat the front door in a fresh color that complements the exterior but provides just the right pop to make your home stand out.
Stage Your Home
Presenting your home as the star of the show is one of the easiest things you can do to up the appeal. Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty understands this, which is why Mosaic agents are equipped to give your home an aesthetic overhaul. Whether the undertaking is large or small, staging can offer a clean slate, free of distractions. Some ways you can easily begin the staging process:
· Neutralize wall colors to provide a calm backdrop on which to create inviting rooms
· Increase lighting, open blinds, clean windows – generally present an open, bright air about your home
· Create furniture arrangements that are “conversational”: couches that face one another and aren’t pointed at a TV
· Make small spaces appear larger with things like mirrors, pedestal sinks and “airy” furnishings: If you can, replace that giant sectional with a polished sofa, or a heavy hutch with understated shelves
· Never leave a room empty; instead, turn it into a guest room, craft room or office
If spring has inspired you to sell, and you want an agent equipped to help you get the most out of the sale of your Asheville area home, please contact Mike Figura at Mike@MyMosaicRealty.com or call him anytime at (828) 337-8190.
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