About 5 million homes are sold every year in the US. This generates billions of dollars in revenue for the real estate industry. Some of these homes are brand new, while some are used homes. If you’re planning to sell your home this year, there are a couple of things you need to do to increase the chances of it being sold and increase its overall value.
Clean-up
Before you sell your home and during every other visit of potential buyers, you must clean it. The first things that buyers see in a home are dust and dirt accumulated throughout the years. This can greatly affect the perception of buyers in your home and can determine whether if they will purchase it or not. So you need to clean up when you can to make sure your home looks like it’s in pristine condition.
If you don’t have the time for this, consider hiring a cleaning service to do the job for you. They don’t cost all that much, and they can clean certain corners you can’t reach. They also have more attention to detail than you do, so they’re most likely to clean surfaces that you might miss out on if you had done the cleaning yourself.
Pest Control
Ticks are one of the most common pests in the US, especially those that have pets. If you had a pet in your previous home, you must use professional control services to handle these ticks. A single tick can carry all kinds of diseases. It can also live on many surfaces such as couches, carpets, and more. They can survive on these surfaces for a couple of days. Additionally, if you don’t have pets around, but wildlife is fairly common in your neighborhood, you should still hire pest control to check the home that you are selling.
Pests can drastically reduce the price of your property, especially if there are signs of them living in your home. Pest excrements, dead insects, and more can also affect how potential buyers view your home. This is another reason why you should clean your home before selling it. Moreover, some pests can actually damage the structure of your home. Rats dig holes into wooden surfaces as a means of getting around. Buyers who see this will certainly avoid buying your home. This is why you should maintain your home against damages that have been incurred throughout the years.
Maintenance
Small damages such as scrapes, small holes on the wall, and paint fading away, can all affect the price of your property. Many sellers tend to ignore these small damages, thinking that buyers would miss them. However, future homeowners are very cautious when it comes to buying their homes. This means that they will look into every nook and cranny before making a decision. Small damages can greatly discourage them from buying your property, and this is why you should invest money in maintaining your property.
It’s time to hire a contractor and ask them to inspect your home for structural damages. There might also be some problems with the overall aesthetic of your old home. You can ask them to fix these damages and more. You can also ask them for various additions they can add to increase the overall price of your property.
Extensions
Extensions are the easiest ways to increase the price of the home you are trying to sell. Many Americans are looking into additions to any home they are planning to buy. An extra bedroom can increase your home’s value by 23% and an extra bathroom by 12%. The return-on-investment for these extensions can be up to $14,000. It’s crazy to think that you can get all of these on top of your home’s overall value. So consider having some extensions in your home. They don’t have to be too big of an extension to matter. An additional room in your home is good enough.
Backyard Improvements
Backyard improvements are one of the leading ways to increase your home’s overall value. There are many choices when it comes to the improvements you can make in your backyard. One of the best ones on the list is outdoor kitchens. You can easily net yourself a couple of thousand dollars by building an outdoor kitchen in your backyard. There are many more improvements to be had if you have the money for it, and almost all of them can increase your home value by a couple of percentages.
Selling your home doesn’t have to be too hard. Here are some things that can help you sell your home while also increasing its value. By following these standards, you can make your home look a lot more attractive to potential buyers.
