Getting your home ready for market
Dear Rick: I’m planning on selling my home this spring. I’d like to make improvements, but I don’t have much money to spend. Are there things I can do inexpensively to help sell my home for a higher price? Julie — Lynnfield.
A.
Yes, there are a number of fairly inexpensive things home sellers can do to make their home sell quickly, easily and for a higher price. Here are a few:
• Sprucing up your home’s exterior and interior. Touch up peeling paint, replace cracked windows, clean stained rugs, trim the lawn and shrubs, and remove all clutter from the exterior and interior. If you don’t have the time — hire someone to do it for you.
• Make sure your home’s interior is as bright as possible by cleaning all of your windows, adding lamps to rooms that get little natural light, and painting smaller and darker rooms white or off-white. And remember, when showing your home, keep all of the shades and curtains open and all of the lights on, even during the day.
• Although you may not be able to afford to make your home bigger without breaking the bank, you can make it appear that way. Remove all clutter and add some hanging mirrors, especially on opposing walls. In very small or low-ceilinged rooms, line the top 3 to 5 inches of wall space with strip mirrors.
• Because some prospective buyers may not like children or pets, or both, keep yours out of the way when showing the home.
• Use your senses, specifically, your sense of smell. Be certain all unpleasant odors are removed by thoroughly cleaning your home — especially the kitchen and bathroom. The aroma of fresh-baked bread is very appealing to almost everyone, so, before a prospective buyer arrives, drip a small drop of vanilla extract on a lit light bulb. This will give off the smell of freshly baking bread as they tour the house.
• Finally, properly price your home from the outset. This is one of the most — if not the most — important elements to selling a home quickly and at the best possible price. To help you achieve this, you should hire an experienced real estate broker to market your home for you. If you’d like your financial question answered, please email it to Rick Shaffer at: AskRick@BostonHerald.