So you are trying to sell your house fast and at a great price. This can seem like a scary task, but with the right home improvements, you can make the sale process a lot slicker!
Here are 7 easy and cheap home improvements that will go a long way in making your home appear more valuable and achieve a fast house sale.
Curb Appeal, Baby!
Let’s start with first impressions, your front entrance. I call this curb appeal, as it is usually the area of a house that people see first from the curb. Make sure your front yard is tidy, there is nothing worse than arriving at someone’s house and the front yard is a chaotic mess. Pack things away! If you have a front lawn, then make sure it is freshly mown and if you have a front wall or gate then give it a fresh lick of paint. Finally get your garden gloves on and add some new flowering foliage to any flowerbeds you may have. Pro tip: add a potted plant or two at your entrance door for that extra appeal!
Spring Clean!
You will be amazed at how many people fail to properly clean their house before a viewing. A serious deep clean can go a long way in making an old or tired home look and smell great. At a minimum, I recommend getting professional carpet cleaners into spruce up your carpets and buff your floors. This will make a massive impact and is worth the investment. Make sure to dust thoroughly before a viewing and pay extra special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms. Make an effort to remove stains from areas like the oven, stove, and in the toilet. Pro tip: install a few air fresheners throughout your house to give it that fresh smell.
Getting the Lighting Right
No one likes dark spaces. Make sure to go through your home and replace any light bulbs that aren’t working or have very low light output. Clean your windows and make sure your blinds or curtains are left wide open during the house viewing. The more natural light the better! If the weather is good on viewing day I recommend leaving a few windows open so that natural ventilation flows through the house and gives a fresh feeling to space.
Pro tip
If you have lots of dark furniture then buy some light throws and drape over the furniture with stylish cushions to brighten up space.
De-clutter the house
If you are a bit of a hoarder then now is your chance to de-clutter your house. Go through each room and try throwing out everything you don’t want or need. This should free up a lot of space. Once you have disposed of your unwanted items then methodically tidy up each room, making sure that space feels open and ordered. Key areas to focus on are bookshelves, open cabinets, and worktops. Try to clear these or tidy things away. Pro tip: buy some cool storage furniture to hide personal effects.
Lick of paint!
By far the biggest improvement you can make is to give your walls and ceiling a fresh lick of paint. This can be quite costly but if you have the skills you can do it yourself. Make sure to choose neutral colors, this is your opportunity to remove cracked, faded or stained areas and most importantly cover over embarrassing color choices you may have made in the past. Pro tip: go for a Gardenia cream or Egyptian cotton color – these are brilliant neutral colors that almost everyone loves!
Update fittings and add some houseplants
For the final touches, I recommend going around the house and updating any broken or old fittings, like doorknobs, broken floor skirting, or loose light fittings. Once you have done that I recommend buying a few houseplants for the living room and perhaps some fresh herbs for the windowsill in the kitchen. People love nature and houseplants are great for your health and wellbeing. They also filter air and make space feel natural and good.
That’s it for our 7 easy and cheap home improvements. Follow these tips and I’m sure you will be able to get the most value out of your home and sell quickly!