You’re preparing to sell your home. You’ve already given the walls a fresh coat of paint, and now you have $1,000 to invest to help make sure your home sells for as much as possible. What do you do?
The RE/MAX Influencers – a panel consisting of RE/MAX Sales Associates from throughout Canada – weighed in with their advice about how $1,000 might be best spent to make your home look great.
Clean it up!
Our Influencers’ most popular answer was to hire a professional cleaner to make appliances, doors and windows squeaky clean. They also suggested deep cleaning the carpets, steaming the tile and decluttering the home.
When cleaning, don’t forget about outside as well! First impressions can be irreversible, so make sure your house looks as appealing from the outside as it does from the inside.
“Clean the house thoroughly inside and outside and buy the brightest bulbs!”
Fix what needs fixing
You may want to consider using $1,000 to fix things that are broken in your house, such as cupboards, doors or countertops. You can also take on small projects that will improve your home, such as updating light fixtures, replacing doorknobs and cabinet hardware, changing old window coverings or updating kitchen/bathroom backsplashes.
“I would recommend assessing what is most worn and giving attention to that. For instance, if the counters are in poor condition, perhaps a new countertop and hardware would improve the kitchen immensely. If there are flooring issues, a good clean, having carpets stretched, and even replacing some small areas would be beneficial.”
Stage right
Wall decor, area rugs, door mats, flowers for the front porch and fresh towels in the bathroom.
For a relatively low cost, there are many staging opportunities that will freshen up your home.
“A staging consultation could go a long way. Additionally, the consultant may make recommendations that require adding some pieces that may make a huge impact on potential buyers.”
Each situation is unique
Although the RE/MAX Influencers had a few suggestions about how $1,000 could be best spent, many insisted that each situation is unique.
“This is where a real estate agent can walk through the home and guide you. He/she can point out the biggest shortfalls compared with other nearby homes on the market.”