HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR HOME SALE
Even though we’re in a fast paced real estate market with sales out-pacing new inventory, you still need to position your home for this market and know how to Maximize Your Home Sale.
Your home is one of your most important financial assets, we know the decision to sell can be difficult and knowing where to start, even more so.
We’ve created this Guide to help our Home Seller’s evaluate important real estate decisions including where your pre-market dollars are best spent.
We have good news…It may not be necessary to invest a lot of money to Maximize Your Home Sale.
In recent studies, it’s the small improvements that pay the biggest dividends when preparing your home to sell. Perform touch up’s on floor tile instead of replacing the entire floor; shampoo the carpets instead of replacing them. However, if some areas are below the standard for the neighborhood, more extensive work may provide the greatest benefit.
Most of the recommendations in our “Prepare to Sell” outline are common sense, but don’t overlook the most critical items under the pressure of getting your home ready to sell.
Which Home Repairs Result in the Greatest Return?
Below is a summary of a National Survey based on ten areas of home improvements.
| PROJECT | TYPICAL COST | ESTIMATED RETURN ON INVESTMENT |
| Lighten & Brighten
Paint, Light Fixtures |
$233 – $370 | 355% |
| Clean & Declutter | $ 190 – $318 | 578% |
| Landscape | $ 378 – $546 | 319% |
| Stage home for sale | $ 403 – $584 | 343% |
| Repair Electrical or Plumbing | $ 436 – $621 | 164% |
| Repair Damaged Flooring | $ 628 – $878 | 145% |
| Update Kitchen & Bathrooms | $ 1,404 – $1,828 | 121% |
| Clean or Replace or Carpeting | $ 562 – $808 | 154% |
| Paint Exterior Walls | $ 663 – $938 | 147% |
| Paint Interior Walls | $ 651 – $929 | 150% |
Lighten & Brighten
One of the most noticeable yet economical improvements you can make to prepare your home for sale is to lighten and brighten. Buyers look for space, light and comfort. Often, all a homeowner needs to do is make simple touch-ups that can create very noticeable results. For instance, it’s important to make the entry to your home as light & bright as possible. To Maximize Your Home Sale, Bright light can make a small home appear larger, while soft light provides a warm, cozy atmosphere to empty spaces.
Clean & De-Clutter
Thoroughly cleaning and freeing your home from clutter can be the most important of all pre-sale improvements you can make. Buyers want to imagine themselves in your home but will have a difficult time if there is extensive clutter. Buyers will open drawers, cabinets and the closets; if they’re stuffed full of your stuff they think there’s not enough room for their stuff.
It can be difficult to maintain an immaculate home over the period of time when it is shown to prospective buyers, but to Maximize Your Home Sale, it will pay in the end. Consider renting short term storage for excess furniture and other belongings.
Stage Your Home To Sell 
Staging can be the secret to selling your home quickly. Your house will attract more qualified and serious buyers if it is already in staged condition when you begin to show it. This involves editing personal effects and resetting furniture to maximize the focal point of a room, you may even rent modern furniture to show your house in the best possible light. Vacant homes can be more difficult to sell because most buyers have difficulty visualizing themselves living in an empty house.
Landscape Front & Back Yard
Many buyers will decide whether they want to see inside, based on the “Curb Appeal” of your home. We advise our clients to invest in modest landscaping and clean up. Planting seasonal flowers as you approach can enhance the appearance of your home. The same logic applies to your back yard as well. To Maximize Your Home Sale, an immaculate lawn and garden can significantly increase the appeal and value of your home.
Update Kitchen & Bathrooms 
Special attention should be paid to the Kitchen and Bathrooms because they receive particular scrutiny from buyers. Prioritize the improvements that will be the most obvious and impressive to buyers. Immaculate Kitchens and Bathrooms can result in a faster sale. They should be free of all clutter to give an “open” appeal.
Repair Damaged Flooring
Like everything in your house, keep your flooring very clean all the time and, if necessary, enhance the appearance by polishing hard surface flooring. Some repairs or replacement may be necessary to improve the condition and appearance of your home.
Clean or Replace Carpeting
Carpets should be clean, vacuumed and completely odor-free. If the carpets are not faded or damaged, you may only need a thorough steam cleaning to improve the smell and appearance. If the condition of the carpet is poor or smells do not come out, you should consider replacing it with a neutral color. If you need to replace only one room, match existing carpet found throughout the rest of the house. Mismatched carpet is a big no-no for Buyers.
Paint Inside and Out
A fresh coat of paint can make a world of difference to the look and feel of a room. If your walls are in good condition, often you can get away with just retouching. However, if the walls are a crazy color, they’re dingy or have nicks or holes take the time to repaint before you hit the market, it will pay off for you in the end.
The key to a great paint job is in the prep work. Plan on patching or repairing any nail holes or nicks in the drywall. Paint will not hide cracks and other defects in your walls, so you will need to spend some time up front to ensure that your paint job will look professional
Without going to the expense of painting the entire exterior of your house, there are many touch-ups you can do to give your home a fresh “new look”. Pay particular attention to the outside appearance of the garage door, front door, and the window and door frames.
Repair Electrical & Plumbing
All of your light switches, overhead lights and plumbing fixtures should be in working order. Before showing your home, be sure to have all defective electrical switches replaced. These low-cost items can have a very positive effect on the appeal of your home. If the problems are more difficult, call a licensed electrician to make any necessary repairs.
Plumbing is one of those jobs that needs to be handled in the right manner also. Some easy jobs you can do yourself, if you’re not sure, call in a professional; the consequences of a mistake could mean costly damage to your home.
Home Styling Trends for Staging Your Home To Sell
For more insider tips, and easy shortcuts, Email me for our complete Guide; How to Maximize Your Home Sale.
As one of the Leading Real Estate Teams in the Desert Market, we’re here to help with your home selling questions. With over 20 years of successfully representing Desert Home Sellers, we’ve developed the selling strategies that will get your home sold quickly, for top dollar in any kind of market.
Give us a call today, Let’s Talk About What’s Possible with Your Home!
