When you’re getting ready to list your home, it’s important to ensure you are showing it in the best light. Taking time to highlight its strengths and fix up some of its possible weaknesses can make a big difference in how fast it sells. Here are our top four recommended repairs to make before selling your home.

Repaint walls

Giving your home a fresh coat of paint is one of the most cost-effective ways to spruce it up, and generally, it can be a do-it-yourself project. Make sure to cover any walls with scratches and chips and consider updating any accent walls with a more neutral coat.

Repair floors

Hardwood floors are a very desirable feature in a home, so you want to ensure they look their best by fixing scratches or dull areas. If your carpet is worn or stained, consider replacing them. And don’t forget the tile in your kitchen or bathrooms. Re-grouting can go a long way in making dingy tile work look brand new!

Refresh the landscaping

Show buyers your home is the full package by dressing up the outside as well as the in. Clean walkways and driveways, plant seasonal flowers and plants, trim hedges and trees, install outdoor décor pieces, and fill in mulch and gravel.

Fix your fixtures

Leaky faucet? Rusted drains? Loose drawer handle? Making these small fixes can make a big difference to potential buyers with detailed-orientated minds. Improve your kitchen. An outdated kitchen can be a real eyesore in a home. Updating cabinetry, repairing, or replacing countertops, and installing new faucets and sinks may be worth the investment

Although currently dimly lit and a little rough on the eyes, your unfinished basement still has a lot of potentials. With just a little love and the help of the following ideas, you can spice it up in no time and get some great use out of the space.

• Add a pop of color. Give your basement a whole different look without a big renovation by adding some color to space. Consider painting and sealing the floors, opening up the room by painting the rafters white or a light color, or creating a bold accent wall.
  
  
• Divide the space. Want to make your basement a multi-use room? Partition out the area by installing an inexpensive curtain system. This can be done either with a curtain track or a simple wire, some hooks, and curtains will suffice.
• Add foam mats. Whether you’d like to use the basement as a home gym to get a quick workout in or a place for the kids to play and rough house, adding some foam mats into the mix is a great and easy solution. They come in various colors and can quickly be picked up and tucked away if need be.
  
  
• Use a large rug. As an alternative to adding mats, find a large, eye-catching rug to be used as a focal point, and furnish the area around it.
  
  
• Add lighting. Basements often offer very little built-in lighting and few outlets around the room. Consider stringing café lighting across space from the rafters to give a nice ambiance and glow without any difficult electrical work.

This is a highly competitive market, so be prepared

Buying your first home can be exciting and daunting. Here are some tips to help you prepare for buying your first home:

CONTACT A REALTOR®

The buying process can get complicated if you don’t know what you’re doing. An experienced Realtor® will save you a lot of time and headaches by guiding you through the buying process.

GET PRE-QUALIFIED

It’s important to know how much you can afford before you start looking for your home. Your lender will be able to tell you what your maximum loan amount is and make suggestions on what price ranges you should stick to when you start looking. Your Realtor® will be able to give you several lender referrals.

SET UP HOME SEARCH

The amount of websites that list homes for sale and their prices are almost endless. Don’t make the mistake of searching through them yourself. Your Realtor® has access to homes that these websites don’t. Just let your Realtor® know what areas you are interested in and they will be able to provide you with listings in your price range in real-time.

TOUR HOMES

Be prepared to see homes as soon as they come on the market and to compete with other buyers. Because the market is so competitive, homes can go under contract within hours of being listed. This is why it’s essential to have a Realtor® who can help you negotiate offers, stay on top of the ball when it comes to fast closing times, and support you in your search for that perfect home. Don’t let your inexperience in real estate get in the way of finding your perfect home.

THE PURCHASE CONTRACT

When you have an accepted purchase contract, your Realtor® and lender will guide you through to a successful closing, or even help you know when it is wise to terminate a contract.

Shopping for and buying your first home is very exciting when you have the right Realtor to help guide you through the process. We at Ring Real Estate put our customers first and make sure our first-time buyers find the home of their dreams. You can reach us at 937.378.3800

Happy house hunting!