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Easy DIY: 8 Fast Fixes to Help Your House Sell

Jan 27, 2010

Everyone knows that selling a house right now is hard. You have to remove as many design barriers as possible to make your house stand out from the many choices buyers have. There are a lot of opinions about where to spend your staging budget, but not everyone has a staging budget! Here are some things you can do yourself easily, without spending much money, for a big impact on buyer impressions.

This vintage illustration came from retrorenovation.com and its very cool blog. If your home is circa 1940s–1960s, check out this blog post for ideas to update your home while respecting its retro roots.

Clean.

If you've browsed the MLS lately you'll see that not everyone thinks this is important. Remember that most buyers can't visualize or see past what's already in the house, including your dirt and clutter. And after curb appeal, scent is the first thing that will make an impression.

Seriously critique the outside of the home.

The front facade and entrance to your home make its first impression. It should look inviting and stand out as one of the nice houses in the neighborhood. Simple things that can improve its curb appeal include a fresh coat of paint or a power-washing, clean windows, a neat front yard, new house numbers and mailbox, a new doormat, and a polished knocker. If you have a seating area outdoors, make it look inviting with furniture. Borrow it if you have to.

Touch up paint.

The scuff you've grown to overlook will stand out to buyers. And this is probably the only situation where I'd advise against no-VOC paint. The smell of fresh paint instantly tells buyers you've taken care to freshen things up.

Uncover wood floors.

Wood, bamboo, and even wood-look laminate floors are a huge asset right now. If yours are covered with carpeting or large area rugs, uncover them! Be obvious about your home's strong points.

Uncover views.

If you have a nice view out a window, remove or minimize window coverings. Make sure all shades are raised for showings. The more natural light, the better.

Dedicate a weekend to finishing all those projects.

Small details may not seem significant to you, but buyers see unfinished details as a sign of your general care of the home. Anything unfinished raises questions.

Start packing.

You have to do it anyway, so do it now and get the place decluttered. Forget about that moving sale in the spring— just get the junk out before buyers come in. Rooms should look furnished but spare. Let buyers see the open space and create a nice traffic flow. Also store personal items like family photos and pet gear.

Create a showing checklist.

Be prepared to get your house showing-ready in an hour or less. Make a list of everything that needs to be stowed away (or even thrown in the car), and have a routine for cleaning touch-ups. This is one time you aren't going for a lived-in look.

Need some help getting your house ready to sell? I offer both flat-fee consulting appointments and staging sessions where I work together with homeowners to make the most of their house with resale in mind. In most cases, homeowners don't have to buy anything to outfit the house— I can work with what you have. An investment of $100 to $300 can result in a faster sale and a higher price. Email for more information.

TAGS: home staging how to stage a house to sell real estate realty tips put house on market

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