Every investor who’s interested in flipping houses wants their home to sell quickly and for a large profit. To make this happen, you need to plan carefully. Reunion Investments is sharing the secrets of how professionals prepare a home to convince buyers to show the money.
Depersonalize Your House
Potential buyers want to imagine themselves in a home. They DON’T want to be reminded that you may have been living there. Present buyers with an impersonal, but comforting and clean environment so they can imagine the home decorated with their own tastes.
As far as furniture goes, only leave simple, neutral pieces that won’t be a distraction. No cheetah print chairs or bright green rugs allowed. If you need to, it might be worth renting a few things to make the house feel “complete”.
Next step – Declutter
If you’ve ever moved (surely you have), you know that there’s always so much more stuff than you thought there was. We grow a collection of things for various reasons, but too often, those things become clutter that we never end up using.
Donate what you can to charity. Not only are you helping others, but a lot of your items may be tax-deductible.
Clear shelves and bookcases of decor and knick-knacks and clear kitchen counters. Anything you want to keep, start boxing up. Look, you’ve already begun the packing process!
Organize Closets and Storage
Buyers will want to check closets and storage space. If everything is everywhere, it sends a negative message that you may be a little sloppy. If everything is organized, buyers will believe you took good care of the house while it was in your possession. Hang shirts buttoned up and line up shoes straight. In the kitchen, organize cabinets cleanly and line up your glasses and coffee mugs nicely.
Consider Renting a Storage Unit
It sucks to have to move your stuff twice, but homes simply show better with less furniture. Remove any bulky items that block paths and make your house look smaller.
Leave just enough furniture to show each room's purpose and leave room for potential buyers to move around freely.
Remove things you plan to take with you
If you plan to take your fridge or an antique lighting fixture with you, plan to remove it before showings begin. It has a negative effect when you show something to a buyer and then tell them they can’t have it.
Repairs depend on your goals
In a seller's markets, you can sell a home in lived-in condition fairly easily. But in normal markets or a buyer's market, repairs and updates can make or break a sale.
Be sure to replace cracked floor tiles and patch any holes in the drywall. Fix things like leaky faucets and doors that don't close properly. Kitchen/bathroom drawers and cabinet doors that jam should be adjusted or replaced as well. Consider painting walls neutral colors, especially if they're currently a bright or weird color. Always throw open curtains or lift up blinds, and turn the lights on during a showing.
Repairs beyond these are really up to your goals and what condition the house is in. If you’re experienced in big flips and have a crew working with you, it may be worth going over the top in your redesign. If you’re just starting out and selling a home or two, it may not be worth throwing a lot of money at it.
Clean, clean, clean
Save yourself a lot of trouble and hire a cleaning crew. They have the tools and experience to make your house sparkling clean. If you do decide to take this on your own, don’t forget baseboards, air vents, lighting fixtures, the inside/outside of cabinets, windows, and every corner of your bathroom.
Don’t Forget About Curb Appeal
Curb appeal makes sure potential buyers don’t get back in their car and turn around before even seeing the inside of your house. Things like painting your front door or adding a wreath of dried flowers go a long way. Consider placing a couple flower pots on your front porch. Hire a landscaper to clean up your yard and add a few shrubs. Consider fixing cracks on your front steps or walkway. Discover 6 landscaping hacks to improve curb appeal
Learn to let go
If you’ve lived in the house you’re trying to sell, it may be hard to let go. Perhaps you’ve made a lot of memories in this home, but you need to realize that the walls you’ve come to know are only a shell. Let go by knowing that the home’s next occupants will make their own memories and hopefully live a happy life there.
There you go! You’ve got all the tools you need to get a house ready to sell quickly. If you want help finding the best opportunities in real estate, contact Reunion Investments for secure, high reward real estate investments.
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