As we all know, selling your home can be a challenge. We see home buyers every day who want to buy a McHenry new home from Gerstad Builders, but first need to sell their existing home.  After living in a home for many years, we accept some things that a new buyer might not accept. So let’s talk through those items in order to  make our home “picture perfect.”

Most of these tips for selling your home can be done with little or no money, just a little bit of time. Your home improvements will bring big dollars when it comes time to negotiate your price.  And, these little fixes may mean the difference in selling your home, or not.

1. Declutter – Yes, that means to rid your home of clutter.  As a seller, you want the prospects to look at your home, not your personal belongings which tend to clutter their mind when touring the home.
2. Paint – Give your home a fresh coat of a neutral paint. Potential buyers want to move in to a clean, fresh environment.
3. Replace worn out carpet – The cost of replacing carpet will be less expensive than the potential buyer will assume, so spend the money now will prevent prospects using the replacement as a bargaining tool.
4. Finish small projects – Replacing handles on cabinets, bath fixtures & towel bars can make a room look model perfect.
5. Create spacious open rooms – Look at each room from a distance to determine which furniture pieces should be removed and/or stored until the home is closed. Allow all the rooms to be spacious and create an environment that the next homeowner will be happy to call home.  Where necessary, add plants and pillows to the room and make sure your lighting enhances each room for the purpose of the space.
6. Exterior updates – After addressing the interior of the home, don’t forget the exterior.  Look at the landscaping, driveway and cleanliness of your deck, patio and windows.  These can all be addressed for little money and time and will let the potential buyer know that you cared for the home throughout the years of living there.

All in all, it is critical in this market for your home to stand out from the crowd. Buyers purchase on emotions, so have them leave your home with a smile and the intention of returning to make an offer to purchase. We hope these tips help you to sell your existing home. When you are ready to go new home shopping, please visit one of Gerstad Builders outstanding communities. We are here to help make your dream home a reality.