There is a lot to consider prior to putting your home up for sale. It is just not as simple as calling a realtor and placing a sign in your yard. In order to give your home the best chance of selling at the optimal price, you do need to put in a bit of work before anything is done. In some markets, you may be fine with doing minimal work or preparation. However, in a place like the Seaside Park real estate market where it is flooded with homes and full of competition, the more improvements and work you put into the home prior to listing, the better chance you have of selling your home quickly. It may seem counter intuitive to spend money on a home you are going to sell. However, putting some money and time into your home before it goes up for sale will benefit you greatly in the long run.
Outdoors
There are many things outdoors that will benefit your listing. The outside of your house is the first thing people see so put your homes best face forward.
Clean it Up
The standard tidying up that we all do at our homes is perfectly fine for day to day life. When you are considering putting your house on the market however, it should be close to perfect. Making sure all cobwebs are gone from corners, exterior lights work, and there are no tripping hazards are a good place to start. Also consider power washing all exterior surfaces if necessary. The exterior of your home is what needs to draw people in. If the outside looks drab and unkempt, people will assume the interior is the same.
Landscaping is Important
Aside from cleaning up exterior surfaces, it’s important to keep your entire plot clean. Your landscape is a crucial place to do that. Trim hedges that have gone a bit astray, neatly edge all gardens, and add pops of color in containers and beds. Ensure the lawn, if you have one, is always kept mowed. On the other hand, a lot of homes in the Ortley Beach real estate market have stone covering their plot. It is just as important to keep these areas weeded and the material is swept up and kept neat. One last easy and cheap improvement that provides a nice pop and welcoming face is a new doormat. You want your home to be as inviting as possible so use every area to increase that welcoming feeling.
Embellishments
Color can do wonders to improve the exterior of your home. Consider adding a contrasting color to your front door which draws the eye to that spot inviting others into your home. If you have a porch or seating area out front replace worn throw pillows on seats and benches. Also, add a fresh coat of paint to anything that needs it like wooden planters or furniture. One last thing is to
Indoors
It is important to do these things to the interior of your home before you list your home for sale. The reason is that as soon as your home is listed, pictures need to be taken and added to the listing. By putting some work into your home prior to putting it on the Lavallette real estate market, it improves your listing greatly.
Make it Neutral
Even if you love the colors on your walls, some people have a very hard time picturing it any other way. The best option is to paint all the walls neutral colors. Neutral colors like whites, tans, and grays appeal to a much wider audience and sometimes can help rooms appear larger.
Depersonalize and Declutter
This is an opportunity to not only make your home more appealing to a wider audience, decluttering and removing personal effects gives you a head start on packing. As with paint, people will have a harder time imagining them living in your home if it is filled with pictures of you and your friends and family. If your decor is very specific to you, remove some of it. Also, if you have an opportunity to do so without it negatively impacting your day to day life, remove extra furniture.
Clean it Up
This is just as important inside as it is outside. Clean every surface of your home well. If you can’t do that, consider hiring a company who can. This not only makes the home look better, but it helps remove odors as well. As far as cleaning, we’re not talking wiping off counters. We’re talking about dusting ceiling fan blades, washing chandeliers till they sparkle, and cleaning baseboards. Every surface should shine. Another way to clean up your indoor spaces includes organizing closets and cabinets. By keeping these areas neat and tidy, it always appears better to potential buyers. Neat and organized closets make it clear that the home has plenty of storage. Messy cabinets and storage places make it seem that there is not enough storage space in the home.
Competition is High in the Beach House Market
While all of these tips are important for every home, it is crucial for homes in flooded markets like those in Seaside Park, Lavallette, and Ortley Beach. There are so many homes for sale that the tiniest advantage can help sell your home. The more move-in ready a home looks and is, the quicker that home is going to sell. Neglecting these improvements could lose you a sale. If a buyer is considering two homes, the one that will require the less amount of work for them will probably win out. A neater, cleaner, well-kept home always shows better than one that did not have this work put into it.
When you’re ready to put your home on the market, be sure to contact one of our experienced realtors!