Ready to put your Utah house on the market this spring? Here are a few things you’ll want to do first:
Clean, clean and clean some more. A clean home is more appealing to buyers. And we’re not talking about giving your home a quick cleaning. You’ll want to give your home a deep clean. Scrub the floors, walls, windows and major appliances, like your stove. Home buyers do look in refrigerators, cabinets, and closets, so you’ll want to clean those, too.
Organize and de-clutter. As part of the cleaning process, you’ll want to organize and de-clutter. Renting a storage unit may be a great idea to get a lot of stuff off your property. If you have children, packing some of their belongings away now will help reduce the number of toys you have to clean up each time a prospective buyer comes through. Consider reducing the number of personal effects in your home, such as family portraits. A potential buyer wants to be able to visualize themselves in your home and that can be hard to do with family portraits lining the hallway.
Spruce up your yard. You’ll also want to clean up your yard. Chances are, there are some leaves and other debris around from the fall and winter. Give the front door and outdoor entry a thorough cleaning. Consider planting flowers in any bare spots or putting a new pot of flowers or welcome mat by the front door. A springtime wreath on the front door may be a nice touch, too.
Should you take the additional step of doing any painting? If it’s been a long time since you have painted your home, or you have a variety of bright colors throughout your home, it may be time for a coat of a neutral color. A fresh coat of paint can make your home’s interior look like new. Even if you decide not to paint, though, make sure your walls are clean. A Magic Eraser cleaning tool can help get rid of stubborn smudges and handprints and can make your walls look much better.
You may wonder, “If the housing market is doing so well, why bother with all this prep work? Won’t someone buy my home anyway?” In any kind of real estate market, prepping your house before putting it on the market is a wise move. That’s because time and time again, it’s been proven that homes that are clean and organized sell faster and for a higher price than comparable properties that haven’t been cleaned and de-cluttered.