Historically, summer has been one of the best times for buying and selling real estate. The spring rains are over, the weather is warming up, school is out, and people are out and about looking at and for homes. It’s a great season for sellers, but you still have to do your part. You can’t just rely on the season and prepare your house for sale. So check out these 3 tips to help you prepare your house for selling this summer in Atlanta.
1. Declutter and Depersonalize
If you want to prepare your house for sale this summer in Atlanta, it always begins with the basics, doing first things first. And that means decluttering and depersonalizing.
It has been said that clutter eats equity and kills deals, so you absolutely have to clear out that stuff you’ve accumulated over several years. When it comes to items in your home, less is more. Evaluate every item in your home and think about whether it will add to or detract from buyer appeal.
Decluttering also includes furniture. Too much can make rooms look smaller and less inviting. Living space is a precious commodity, so you need to consider what you can get rid of to make your home seem more expansive. Buyers will be attracted to a home that feels larger and more spacious.
Also, an important part of decluttering is depersonalizing. The idea of decluttering is to create a blank canvas that potential buyers can paint their lives on. You want them to see your house as their home with all their belongings in place and themselves living there. So get rid of or put away all highly personal items like family photos, quirky artwork, and bizarre colors.
And don’t forget to remove any and all items that could be contentious or polarizing. Remove anything that could be controversial such as religious or political items because they could elicit a strong negative emotional reaction in buyers.
2. Make Needed and Obvious Repairs
To prepare your house to sell this summer, you will also need to make needed and obvious repairs. This doesn’t mean you need to go in for a full-blown kitchen remodel, but you do need to fix what needs fixing. You don’t want potential buyers viewing your home to be distracted by things like chipped paint, scuffed floors, dripping faucets, and missing shingles. You want them to focus only on the positive aspects and features of your home.
In addition, making these repairs can make negotiations go much faster and smoother. You won’t spend hours haggling over minor repair issues. And buyers will inevitably inflate the cost of repairs when trying to get you to take care of them.
Keep in mind, though, that you need to make only those repairs that promise a good return on the investment at sale time. To find out more about this, you can consult a Atlanta agent at (404) 977-5054.
3. Work on Curb Appeal
To prepare your house to sell during the summer – when buyers have outdoor spaces top of mind – you absolutely must work on curb appeal. It is what creates that critical first impression that makes buyers want to go inside and see more.
So take care of at least the basics. Mow the lawn, trim shrubs, lay down new mulch in beds, plant some flowers, and paint the front door. You don’t have to hire a landscaper, but it may be a good idea. Landscaping typically yields a very good return on the investment.
During the summer people are thinking about outdoor living and outdoor activities. So as part of your curb appeal enhancement, put some time and money into staging your outdoor living spaces. Make that backyard deck or patio look like the perfect place to spend time outdoors.
And Work With an Experienced Atlanta Agent
While these are great tips to help you prepare your house, there are many more things you can and probably should do. So to maximize your summer selling potential, it’s a good idea to work closely with an experienced agent. To find out more about how to prepare your house for selling this summer, contact us today at (404) 977-5054.