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The team at Xtreme Home Products, located in the heart of Downtown Mooresville, want to help you get your home ready to hit the market. Naturally, you’ll need a good sale price on your current home to improve the next one’s down payment. But if your home is dated and appears neglected or dirty, you’re bound to put off prospective buyers.

Fortunately, there are ways to boost the bidding price for your home and maximize the odds of seeing more cash in your account. Let’s explore seven things to do before selling your house to improve its sale value and prep it for moving.

1. Find the right real estate agent

Before doing anything else, remember that you don’t have to – and shouldn’t – sell your house by yourself. The right real estate agent can make the whole process easier by:

Listing your property on the MLS and other real estate agent-exclusive listing sites

Showing your house or hosting “open house” events

Giving you specific advice on how to boost your home’s value

So before undertaking any major renovation projects, get a real estate agent to look at your home and give you an estimate of its fair market value. Then, prepare to look at your home through the eyes of a prospective buyer and make any updates and repairs that will help bring the highest offers.

2. Fix it up to bump up the price

Keep that hammer handy and partner it with a full tool chest. You’ll need it for all the home repairs on your to-do list!

Take a thorough look at your property and note anything that could be fixed up with some elbow grease and old-fashioned handyman skills. Some common things to fix before selling your house include:

Broken light fixtures or dim light bulbs – replace the old bulbs with energy-efficient alternatives to show your home in the best light

House numbers near the door – make sure they’re attractive and easy to see

Entry doors and windows – repair cracks with caulking or weatherstripping

Leaky faucets, which should be tightened or replaced ASAP

Electrical issues, including broken outlets or light switches

Dated AC or heating systems – most buyers don’t want to purchase a house with a bad HVAC unit, so consider footing the bill for this to get a better price when you sell your home

Roofing issues, including gutters – a new roof can be a valuable amenity and an excellent selling point

Remember, once you get an offer, the buyer will have it professionally inspected. Anything you can repair now will save you a headache later.

3. Replace old, drafty windows

Depending on your house’s age and other factors, one or more windows might be drafty, cracked, and a warning sign for a prospective buyer. It’s a good idea to replace any old and/or drafty windows with new energy-efficient windows.

If your old windows are unsightly, you can replace them with much more aesthetically pleasing alternatives. Not only do new windows boost curb appeal, they also can make your home’s interior look better by allowing in more natural light. Picture windows, bay windows, and other new replacement windows can do a lot to shift home price haggling in your favor come negotiation time.

4. Pressure wash your sidewalks and driveways

Here’s an incredibly satisfying fix that will also help you get a bit more cash from your house sale. Buy or rent a pressure washer and spray down the sidewalks, front porch, siding, and driveway of your home. It’s an easy touch that makes your house look bright and new and elevates the first impression of your property.

When prospective buyers walk up a pristine driveway to your freshly washed front door, they’ll be much more likely to make an offer than if they took the same route from a grimy driveway to a dusty, dirty door!

5. Deep clean – appeal to the eye and the nose!

Before selling your house, extend the above cleaning tip to the inside of your property. Deep clean everything you can. No one wants to enter a home and see dirt or grease or smell mildew or pet odors. You may have become immune to dingy surfaces or unpleasant scents, but homebuyers have eagle eyes and sensitive noses. Clean everything, paying special attention to:

The kitchen, including counters, cabinet doors, and appliances – remove all clutter from surfaces

The bathrooms, making sure showers and tubs are mildew-free and the counters, mirrors, and toilets are spotless

The floors and carpets – give them a good vacuum or steam clean the carpets to remove dirt and stains

All windows, inside and out

All interior and exterior doors

The living and dining rooms – dust all surfaces, clear clutter, and make sure the dining table is clear of all dishware and debris

The garage – clean and empty everything you can to make it look larger

6. “Depersonalize” your home and stage it for newcomers

Don’t leave any personal pictures or trinkets lying around. In fact, it’s a better house selling strategy to depersonalize your property as much as possible.

Why? When a prospective homebuyer visits a new house, they want to imagine themselves living in the space. That’s a lot easier if they don’t see pictures of another family staring at them everywhere they walk – especially if they don’t have a family similar to yours.

Therefore, you should remove:

Pictures with you and your family members, at least before someone is scheduled to arrive for a tour – once they’re gone, you can put the photos back

Very quirky or unique knickknacks, statues, and decorations – it may sound boring, but simple and classic decorations are best when trying to sell your house

Bold or bombastic furniture that can dominate a room and make it hard for a homebuyer to imagine themselves decorating the space differently

Remember, the more items you remove, pack up, or give away now, the less work you’ll need to do when you move.

7. Paint if needed

To make your home’s interior more inviting and fresh looking, consider giving your walls a new coat of neutral color paint, especially in living areas or the master bedroom.

However, remember to do the paint job carefully and with plenty of time to spare. The last thing you want is a prospective homebuyer wrinkling their nose at the smell of paint when they should be imagining buying and living in your house!

Prep your house for a great sale

The above tips aren’t just wise to bolster your home’s bidding price. They’re also smart ideas for preparing to move in general. A clean, clutter-free home is good practice and very helpful when it’s time to pack up and go.

Remember your friends here at Xtreme Home Products, located in Mooresville, NC, can help with any vinyl replacement siding, replacement windows, exterior doors, or even Valor Gutter Guard. We serve Statesville, Troutman, Asheville, Hendersonville, Winston Salem, Taylorsville, Hickory, Denver, Sherrills Ford, Mooresville, Newton, Concord, Davidson, Huntersville, Cornelius, Lincolnton, Charlotte, and surrounding areas.

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