Moving into a newer and perhaps more modern home is an exciting experience; even cooler if you are leaving your contemporary apartment to live in a Victorian style bungalow. The only task in-between is to sell your old place and conjure up a handsome amount to invest in the new one. If you have decided to list your house on the real estate market, you should start prepping it for the sale. Potential buyers are going to see it as their new home, so it must appear as welcoming as possible. Make your home presentable on the outside and the inside, to boost its aesthetic and monetary value. Bear in mind that ‘seeing is believing’, so show them visitors why your place is the ideal destination to settle down.
You do need an extensive renovation plan, unless the house is literally falling apart. A little touch up, minor fixes, and redecorating can make all the difference. While you make a list of preparation points, bear in mind that the final result must be good enough for you to reconsider your intention to move out.
A fresh coat of paint can make anything look shiny new. If the external surface of your house hasn’t been painted in years, the first impression could be appalling. Soiled, stained, faded, and peeling walls can easily throw off any charm left in an old building. Fresh paint shall bring evenness and luster to a range of surfaces, and drastically reduce the perceptible age. Cover all the unsightly spots, blemishes, pigments, and scuff mark with a lovely shade.
A home that is sparkly clean looks beautiful and habitable, so gather all your cleaning supplies and scrub until you hear the squeak. Get to all those filthy nook and corners that hold dirt accumulated over a decade. Rinse the windows to the point where you cannot tell that there is glass. Polish the woodwork and scour the flooring until you see your reflection. I cannot think of anything more terrifying than witnessing someone else’s grime and filth. A house free of dust earns the buyer’s trust.
When you are expecting home hunters to stop by, make sure that your house does not resemble the illustration of mayhem. Put away your dirty laundry and dishes before someone steps in. Keep all the rooms spick and span to emphasize their layout and design. One might argue that the prior owner’s scruffiness is irrelevant, but it tends to become a hindrance quite often. Make sure those unnecessary items do not block storage space and walkways.
Try to decorate the house in a way that makes the rooms look roomier than they are. You can install mirrors, use light color schemes, incorporate fewer but larger accent walls, and limit the use of gaudy wallpaper.
Keep the home neat and clean, but preserve the hominess. When people visit, the place should look lived-in rather than vacant and isolated. There is no need to remove your family photos, wall art, and other decorations. Add warm lighting to illuminate dark corners and add ambience.