Home Selling Tips: 30 Expert Strategies to Boost Your Property’s Appeal!

 More often than not Home Sellers aren’t aware of what it takes to prepare their home for sale in today’s real estate market. What do Home Buyers look for in a property? How much organizing is required? Most of all, what updates and repairs should a Home Seller make prior to listing the property for sale? We’ve created some home selling tips and 30 expert strategies to boost your property’s appeal throughout this page. 

The 30 Expert Home Selling Tips to Boost Your Home Appeal:

1.  Clean all cabinets, closets and cupboards and drawers: Buyers want to know how much space is in your home, if they are looking to move in, home buyers want to know the home seller isn’t moving because of a lack of storage. Having your cupboards, cabinets, closets and drawers organized and free of mess creates the illusion that you don’t even use the space in the home currently.
2. Clean all appliances, including the stove: It’s all too often that buyers judge a homeowner’s cleanliness on their appliances. How is the home really kept when nobody is around? That’s why having a clean stove, refrigerator, washer, dryer and dishwasher, are an important step on our home selling tips. It  shows you are a careful homeowner and what home buyers can expect the home to be clean when purchasing. If you have stainless steel appliances be sure to get an effective stainless steel cleaner.
3. Replace furnace filter: On average, depending on the furnace filter, it should be replaced every 3 to 6 months for optimal air quality and furnace efficiency. While not all home buyers will check the furnace filter, an inspector will. Having a new furnace filter will show you’re great home seller, and often one of the most missed home seller tips.
4. Touchup any missing paint spots and damage: Home buyers want to know that the property is going to be in move in condition when they purchase. Aside from the odd nail hole from pictures or decorations, having the walls / trim touched up and painted means it’s one less thing for the buyers to worry about. This means more money for you as a home seller.
5. Declutter and depersonalize: Every home has to have some personality, although when the home sellers are the personality, it makes things, well… awkward. Home buyers want to be able to visualize themselves in the property. Too many photos of yourself or items that are specific to individual tastes may take that experience away. Part of our home selling tips are to depersonalize the space, hang neutral artwork and remove items that may not be appealing to all groups of people. Try to think of your home as the cover of a magazine that is meant to attract every person in the world, how would that look?
6. Replace broken lightbulbs and fixtures: Lighting can seriously make or break the visuals of photos and the appeal for buyers, making this one of the top home selling tips. Having adequate lighting and all the same hue, shows that you the home seller, has an attention to details. Gone are the days of 5000 Kelvin (Daylight) bulbs, most are moving back towards a neutral 3000k (Bright white) look. This makes the room look neutral without being too yellow or too blue.
7. Make all of your beds: Leaving a bed undone is one of the biggest faupaux in real estate photography and a must complete on our home selling tips. Completing your bed just shows that extra bit of care. It’s always recommended to use a neutral bedspread and have at least 4 pillows on the bed.
8. Replace broken switch plates: Buyers want to know you’ve taken care of your property when selling your home. Replacing broken / cracked switch plates are a little touch that goes a long way.
9. Remove heavy duty air fresheners and candles: One of the most important home selling tips, is providing buyers with a neutral smell. Airwick, Febreeze, and many artificial scents cause for some buyers to walk right out the door. If you do have a scent in your home you can opt for an ozone treatment, a deep clean or there are more neutral and adjustable “wall flowers” from Bath and Body Works – White Tea and Sage is a perfect mix of neutral with a slight refreshing scent.
10. Add fresh towels to bathrooms and kitchen: Having fresh white towels in the bathrooms and kitchen make the home feel fresh and clean. If the towels are fresh and white, it can indicate the you as a Home Seller take great care of the cleanliness.
11. Ensure all doors and cupboards open and close: Let’s be real, if a door doesn’t shut or a cabinet is broken off, this can show a lack of care towards the home as a home seller. Check to make sure all of these items are functional.
12. Add some artificial plants throughout the home: Who doesn’t love a little greenery? If you don’t have a green thumb, one of our home selling tips is to add some real looking artificial plants can go a long way to making the home feel fresh and full of life.
13. Cut the grass and trim the bushes: Curb appeal is everything to home buyers, in fact the front of your home is most often the first photo home buyers see when searching online. Having the grass cut and bushes trimmed shows home buyers that you take care of the exterior as a home seller, making this a top priority on our home selling tips.
14. Add some fresh flowers and mulch: Nothing beats the look of fresh flowers and mulch when it comes to curb appeal and it’s an affordable way to showcase your home in it’s best light.
15. Remove heavy curtains and window coverings: Natural light in a home is one of the biggest must haves for buyers in today’s market. Remove any heavy blackout curtains and replace them with light filtering curtains or sheer curtains in a neutral colour.
16. Clear your kitchen counters: One of the main focal points when selling your home will be the kitchen. It’s where many spend a majority of the time, having your counters cleared showcases to a buyer that you have more than enough space for cooking. The only items that should be left on the counter if you have them are the knife sets, a fruit basket and a coffee / espresso maker.
17. Clean windows and screens: Who doesn’t love looking through a window that looks as though the window isn’t there. Having windows cleaned goes a long way to showcasing your home in it’s best light. For photos, dirty windows often show up, making buyers wonder what the rest of the home may look like.
18. Clean sinks and toilets: Make sure the kitchen sink, bathroom sinks, and toilets are all cleaned and in good working condition.
19. Clear the garage: If you have a garage, buyers are going to want to know that they can park their vehicle in it. Too often home sellers pack their garage and buyers are left wondering if they can fit a car in it, and if the home provides enough space without having to fill the garage.
20. Check your downspouts and eavestroughs: Often Home Sellers forget about their downspouts and eavestroughs, although these items can cause concern for home buyers without regular maintenance. If your downspout is disconnected or doesn’t have an extension, this may be increasing the likelihood that water will enter into the basement.
21. Check laundry units: Make sure there is no built up mildew in the washer and that the lint traps have been cleaned out on the dryer.
22. Vacuum, dust, broom sweep and mop: Nobody likes to walk into a home and step on dust bunnies, dirt and grime. Cleaning the floors will give home buyers a great first impression, and that’s why it’s one of our must complete home selling tips.
23. Take out the garbage: Taking out the garbage is crucial to avoid any unwanted smells in the home.
24. Add a front door mat or rug: Nobody wants wet or dirty shoes to be sitting at the front door. They make a mess of the floor and could cause damage if it’s hardwood or laminate. Having a large black mat allows for enough space to take off and put on shoes without having to step on the clean floor.
25. Add cushions and throw blankets: Adding neutral cushions and throw blankets can warm up the space and make home buyers feel as though they can relax in the space.
26. Clean and repair bathroom tiles, grout and caulking: If you have damaged grout, tiles or caulking in your bathroom, this is an easy way for buyers to be concerned about potential water damage. Repairing these items goes a long way to make buyers feel confident in their purchase.
27. Remove pet items: Removing items such as dog beds, cat litters, etc., will ensure that no buyers will decide not to purchase your home based on what animals live there. Some buyers may have allergies and some may have cultural reasons not to want a home that previous had pets. Pet dander is one of the most common complaints when buyers are searching for homes, making this one of the top home selling tips.
28. Keep valuable items in a safe location: Home buyers are going to look at everything in your home to get a feel for the space. Ensure that your valuables are locked away or stored at a separate location while your home is being shown.
29. Clear refrigerator: Remove all items that are stuck to the refrigerator, this can immediately make the home feel cluttered.
30. Clear and organize closets: The final item on our home selling tips is clearing and organizing the closets. If it’s summertime, store away the winter clothing and winter boots, and vice versa. Keep all bedrooms closets at about 75% capacity. This will make sure buyers can open the closets with ease and see the space as acceptable for their future home.

Throughout this guide we have provided you with 30 expert home selling tips to boost your property appeal. Whether you’re a first time seller or you have bought and sold multiple times, using these 30 expert home selling tips will ensure that you have paid attention to every detail in your home. Your property is ready to shine on the market. With North Elm Realty Group, our team is dedicated to showing your home and property in it’s best light. With our team of professional photographers, videographers, stagers, contractors, cleaners and organizers, we can help to alleviate these stresses, just ask about our concierge service. Get started on selling your home in London Ontario and surrounding areas with North Elm Realty Group powered by CENTURY 21 First Canadian Corp., Brokerage.