With Labor Day behind us and the school year officially underway, summer is officially over. What better time to take stock of your home to see if there are any upgrades you can make so that you can get top dollar if you need to sell soon. Why put off these projects? If you do them now, you can enjoy them before you sell, or they can already be done so you are ready and don’t have a long list of things to do once a home inspection is completed.
Not sure where to start? You can always have a pre-inspection done on your home so you know all of the areas that might be a cause for concern once you have a contract with a buyer. A good licensed inspector will look over all of the systems in your home as well as the structure itself to let you know any areas of concern. This way you can handle all of the pesky maintenance issues with a handyman or contractor before you even list your home.
Have outdated features? Maybe you might consider doing a small or even big renovation project to help your home sell faster. Small projects might be DIY, or something you might want a professional to help you handle. A great place to start is by looking online to find photos or videos that can help you as a tutorial. There are lots of DIY sites that can help you to learn how to use power tools or how to do small projects that could have a big impact on your home.
If you need a larger project done, you will want to get bids from at least 3 contractors before you have any work done. Make sure to ask for references and photos of previous jobs so you can check out work done. Ask the references if the jobs were completed on time and on budget so you can really get a sense of if each contractor is right for your job before you hire one.
Don’t forget to look at the curb appeal of your home. Really look at any landscaping to see if any of yours blocks the view of your home or blocks views from the interior to the exterior. Professionals can help you here or you could take on a project yourself. Your local plant nursery might even help you with a plan for native plants that can add color and interest to your home.
Don’t forget that before you sell your home you should go through each room to de-clutter and de-personalize the space. Taking things out of your home can make each room appear larger and more appealing to a buyer. Removing personal items makes it easier for a potential buyer to imagine themselves living in your house.
If you get all of the maintenance and upgrades done before you list your home, you can save yourself a lot of stress and hassle during the selling process. You should be able to get top dollar for your home without all of the negotiation during the repairs phase of a real estate contract. This should make for the smoothest home sale and should make all parties happy.