Selling a house means entering a competitive market with lots of similar houses that have similar features and selling points. So if you want to sell your house quickly and at a good price, you will have to make it stand out from the competition somehow, make it appeal to buyers more than all those other houses on the market. You could, of course, make major upgrades and renovations, but you probably wouldn’t see much a return on that major investment. There are, however, better ways. So here’s how to keep your house competitive when listing in Central Florida.
Take Care of the Small Things
One great way to keep your house competitive when listing in Central Florida is to take care of the small things – because many other sellers won’t bother to do it. You will have to cast a keen, objective eye on your house because you’ve lived there for many years and gotten used to these small things that need attention. Prospective buyers, though, will be sure to notice them. So if you want your house to be competitive, you’ll need to put in the time and effort to, for example, replace the cracked bathroom tiles, fix the leaking kitchen faucet, refinish the scratched cabinet doors, and see to the sticking windows.
Clean and Stage
Thoroughly cleaning may seem too obvious to need mentioning, but it remains a great way to keep your house competitive when listing in Central Florida. A lot of other sellers will be so caught up in doing the big things like updating the kitchen that they will often neglect this part.
In addition, you need to do at least some staging to display your home to its best advantage, highlighting its best features and downplaying flaws. Actually, it’s best to use a professional staging service. When your house has been properly staged, buyers will be able to envision it as their own home filled with their possessions.
Let the Light in
Another thing you simply can’t overlook if you want to keep your house competitive when listing in Central Florida is the lighting, both natural and artificial. A dark house with old fixtures and dingy switch plates is unappealing to buyers. And, of course, you want them to be able to see the cleaning, painting, and staging you’ve done.
A first step is to take down the heavy drapes and blinds and replace them with sheers. Then, install new, modern fixtures and replace switch plates. All this will make the inside of your home a bright, appealing space that buyers would like to make their own.
Work on Curb Appeal
We all know how important first impressions are, and the outside of your home and your yard are the first things prospective buyers will notice when they pull up. Improving curb appeal is a great way to keep your house competitive when listing in Central Florida because many other sellers focus solely on the inside of their home, especially the kitchen and bathroom, and neglect the outside.
So be sure and take the time to touch up paint, rake and mow, clean gutters, put up new house numbers, and install a new entry door. And because landscaping is such a major part of curb appeal, you should invest some time and effort in that as well. Besides, landscaping yields a greater return on investment than any other improvement.
And, finally, to keep your house competitive when listing in Central Florida, you might consider enlisting the aid of a qualified real estate professional. A good agent with a solid track record can provide a wealth of advice about getting your home ready for sale and making it competitive.