Best Home Improvements to Sell a House Faster

Selling a house fast requires some time, effort, and investment. To sell a house quickly, the most important thing you need to do is ensure your property is well-presented. This means staging it for a sale in the most effective way and completing some home improvements (both big and small).

The longer a property takes to sell, the higher the chances are that you’ll have to lower the price or accept an under-value offer. Plus, when selling a property, you’ll still need to pay for home maintenance and mortgages until the property sells. So, selling a house quickly can be favorable for many reasons.

Keep reading to learn the best home improvements to sell a house faster and add the most value.

Clean the Property

First impressions count. A dirty home won’t attract buyers unless you’re selling it at a throw-away price. A clean and tidy property is inviting, so creating one should be a priority when you are preparing to sell your home.

Cleaning won’t cost you a dime, especially if you have time to do it on your own. Depending on the size of the property, it can be done thoroughly in a couple of days to a week.

Remember, how the home looks from the outside (i.e. its curb appeal) shows buyers what they can expect once they step inside. Therefore, a clean and tidy exterior is just as important as a clean interior.

If the house exterior is grimy, consider hiring professional cleaners to pressure-wash it. This leaves the driveway or concrete looking immaculate, and it is also a sure way to attract potential buyers.

Part of cleaning also includes decluttering. Make sure you remove all non-essential items from the property when staging a property. When the home is clutter-free, buyers can better visualize the potential of the space.

Add Potted Plants

Small changes can make big difference when looking to sell a house fast. Even little things like potted plants can make a huge difference. Plants add life to your home by injecting warmth, color, and energy into the space. 

Additionally, plants are an essential part of creating neutral decor. They also add personality to the home as well. Plants are not generally considered overly distracting or off-putting, like unusual color schemes used by some interior designers can be.

Plus, plants freshen the air and bring a calming effect to the environment. You can buy plants already potted, which means you just have to place them inside or outside the house and watch as they transform the environment.

When positioning plants, choose strategic locations, like the entryway, balconies, or next to the windows, and ensure symmetry in their arrangement.

Re-Paint

To improve the appearance of your home immediately, a fresh coat of paint is the best option. Adding a lighter color to your walls can make your home look bigger and brighter. This makes it easier for viewers to imagine how they can adapt the rooms to suit their needs.

Brighter homes with more natural light can be more attractive to buyers. It can even add to the resale value, according to OfftheMrkt. Plus, repainting a home assures buyers that they can move in immediately. When the home needs a fresh coat of paint or a color change before moving in, this can put some buyers off.

This is especially the case if all the rooms have poor, faded, or unfashionable paintwork. Therefore, a newly painted house can easily convince them to close the deal.

Install Wall Mirrors

Full-length wall mirrors can make a house look bigger and lighter. This is a great move, especially in hallways and smaller rooms. For the best results, choose mirrors with a bit of character rather than plain, rectangular mirrors. For example, mirrors with gold embellishments or artwork on the sides often look much better.

If your budget allows for splurging, consider opting for custom-made mirrors for your property before selling. This can make your home appear even more luxurious and stylish. Just ensure the customization isn’t too personal, as this can scare away potential buyers. 

Mirrors are also a way to hide poor design elements. Minor imperfections, if too conspicuous, can make potential buyers change their minds about closing the deal. Hanging a mirror over these imperfections will perfectly disguise them.

Additionally, wall mirrors are a way to enhance security, especially if they are strategically placed. They help homeowners track the movements and activities of guests in the house.

Choose Soft Lighting

The moment potential buyers walk into the property, you want them to get a feel for what it’d be like to live there. Thus, you ought to make it as homely and inviting as possible.

Adding soft lighting in the bathroom and the hallways can create a warm glow that’s perfect for making a home feel cozier. The time spent at home should be for relaxation and it is essential to set an atmosphere that supports that.

Install New Curtains

A house with big windows can look attractive enough to secure a buyer. But windows with the right curtains can have just as big of an impact. Curtains are often one of the most underused home improvement resources when preparing a home for sale. In staging a home for sale, curtains can make or break the process.

Firstly, curtains can help block noise from the outside environment. This is especially important if the house is located near a construction site or a busy street. Secondly, they can be a great way to add some color to the home decor.

Curtains can also make a small room look larger and hide bad paneling. Just make sure you stick to neutral-colored curtains with seamless stitching for the best results.

Create a Pleasant Smell

Another thing to do before selling involves creating a pleasant smell for buyers to experience the moment they walk in. Bad smells are a great turn off and people will leave as quickly as they got there if the house smells terrible.

Remember, covering up bad smells with an air freshener isn’t the answer. Fixing the source is a much better resolution that will attract better buyers and help your house sell faster.

Washing bins, clearing drains, opening the windows, and airing the kitchen are some of the ways you can fix the source of bad smells. Cleaning furniture, floors, bedsheets, and carpets can also create a better smell in a property. This is especially important to do if the house was smoked in. If you are selling a home you want potential buyers to get that feeling right from the start.

Summary

How much money you need for home improvements depends on what you are planning to do. Rarely do people have a limitless source of funds to dedicate to home improvement projects when preparing a house for sale. The tips discussed above are budget-friendly and very effective if you want to sell your home fast.

Are you preparing to sell a house in Philadelphia or San Diego? At Brotherly Love Real Estate, we’re your local property experts. We buy houses for cash, helping you sell a house as quickly as 21 days.

To learn more about selling your house to us, contact us online or call our expert team of real estate agents at (215) 769-9875.