These are the Projects That Will Help You Sell Your Home Quickly

There are many factors to consider when estimating how long your home will be on the market. However, if you need to sell your property quickly, then it’s crucial that you get all your ducks in a row as soon as possible. Start by hiring a seasoned listing agent — just make sure to interview several candidates before making a final decision. Research your local market and get an assessment in order to settle on a competitive price. Work with your agent to determine the best time to list your open house. Since they’re typically held on a weekend, a Thursday or Friday is usually appropriate.

But before getting professional photos and promoting your home online, invest a little time and money into some of the following projects that can help sell your home faster.

Paint

One can’t talk about home improvements without mentioning paint. While most pros suggest going the safe route with neutral hues of light gray, beige, white, or eggshell in order to give potential buyers a clean slate to envision their own belongings, recent data suggests otherwise. Not only are shades of blue such as blue-gray, periwinkle, cerulean, and Caribbean-inspired hues appealing to buyers, but they also increase the value of your home. To be on the safe side, consider only experimenting with color in a couple of rooms.

Fix the Chimney

A damaged chimney (think cracks, popping bricks, and lack of a cap) is a complete eyesore and is likely to be one of the first things a potential buyer notices when assessing the outside of your home. Not to mention, if the chimney is not functioning properly, it can cause health problems and hazards within the home due to buildup or improper ventilation. Spend an afternoon doing a DIY chimney repair to address issues with mortar and structure.

Add Garden Beds

Raised flower or vegetable beds are an inexpensive way to improve the look of your yard while appealing to buyers who love to garden. There are several easy DIY projects that you can complete in a weekend.

Improve Storage

Whether you have a small home or a palace, everyone loves ample storage. Consider adding built-in shelving into closets, install a wall-hung television cabinet, convert hidden/unused spaces (like a crawlspace) into storage areas, hang a coat and pot rack from the walls, convert a stylish old dresser into a sink cabinet in the bathroom, create a decorative wall niche, place all garden tools in a well-appointed shed, or add a built-in bookcase.

Deep Clean and Stage for Success

Hire a professional cleaning service to deep clean (including a steaming of the carpets if applicable) before your open house. These experts are trained to make every room sparkle from top to bottom, and they are way faster than you. Your time is better spent decluttering and depersonalizing. It’s not a bad idea to slowly start packing during this process — especially items like family photos, hobby-related decor, etc.

Though it will set you back anywhere between $500 and $5,000-plus depending on the size of your residence, hiring a pro home stager is one of the last pieces of the puzzle that can help you sell your home in record time. Their job is to bring in flowers, lamps, throw rugs, small pieces of furniture, and tasteful decor and set up your home like a perfect and inviting environment that appeals to the masses. They’ll use specific techniques to make a room appear larger or to draw one’s eye away from a potentially bad layout or design. The day of the open house, a stager will set out extra bells and whistles such as scented candles, light refreshments, perfectly rolled hand towels, flowers, and tasteful-looking lotions and soaps.

When making any changes to your abode, make sure you take into the consideration the market in which you live. Don’t waste money by putting in upgrades that will increase your home value too much or you may have a hard time selling it in an expedited manner. Only implement projects that make sense.

Author

Suzie Wilson is an interior designer with more than 20 years experience. What started as a hobby (and often, a favor to friends) turned into a passion for creating soothing spaces in homes of every size and style. While her goal always includes making homes look beautiful, her true focus is on fashioning them into serene, stress-free environments that inspire tranquility in all who enter. The Ultimate Guide to Prepping Your Home for an Open House is filled with tips, tricks and other advice based on Suzie’s years of experience in interior home design that will set you up for success.