There is a lot more to selling a home than listing it for sale. If you want to sell your home faster, you need to make sure it’s presentable for people who want to buy it.

There were 5.34 million homes sold in 2018 alone. With all the options home-buyers have, you need to make sure that your home stands out.

Are you worried that your house may not sell fast enough? Follow the eight home prep tips below to make your home stand out from the crowd.

1. Remove Personalization

When someone takes a tour of your house, they aren’t looking to learn more about the person who lives there already. They want to figure out if your home is a good fit for their future. They can’t do this if you have personal photos and customizations still in your home.

You need to get rid of personal touches so the home-buyer can envision themselves as the owner of the home. Of course, this can leave your home feeling bare.

If you decide to add in other items where you de-personalized, make sure the tone is neutral. Anyone should be able to enjoy your home’s decor.

2. Stage Your Home

Removing any personal items from your home is only one part of the process. You also need to stage your home for when potential home-buyers come to take a look.

You don’t need to go overboard with this. The most critical areas to focus on are the entry points and the main living areas. You want these areas to be more homely since people will spend the majority of their time there.

Other areas like bedrooms and basements don’t need as much work. You can put a few pieces of furniture to fill out the rooms, but you don’t need to spend as much time in these areas.

3. Prepare for House Inspections

Don’t get too excited if you get an offer on your home. Things can still go wrong at this stage of the sale.

Smart buyers will want to get a home inspection before committing to their purchase. They will hire their own inspector to come in and look for problems.

If they find any, they may want you to fix them. This process can put the deal on pause while you decide if you’re going to follow through with repairs. But you can avoid this problem.

Get a home inspection of your own before listing your house on the market. Doing this will inform you of any problems before the buyer has a chance to find them. If you get them fixed beforehand, you can move the deal along once the buyer makes an offer.

4. Take Care of Minor Repairs

Sometimes minor problems get left unresolved. These things can be anything from broken locks to cracked floors. The problem is this can make your home unappealing to buyers.

Look through your house to find minor issues that need to be resolved. While they may not make or break a deal, it can drive a lot of potential buyers away.

It doesn’t take much to fix these problems and will improve your chances of getting your home sold fast.

5. Improve Your Curb Appeal

You want people to have a positive first impression of your house. The first impression starts when home-buyers drive up to your home and see the exterior for the first time.

You can start by cleaning the outside of your house. You can pressure wash your house to take care of this. Focus on your walls and your roof to clean off any dirt.

Once you finish this, you can work on landscaping. Start by trimming any trees or bushes that have grown too much. If you want your home to stand out a little more, you can buy a few plants and flowers to put around your entrance.

6. Organize and Clear Clutter From Storage

A big reason to buy a home is to have the space to keep everything you want. People will want to look through your storage space to make sure it has enough room for everything.

If you leave your storage spaces disorganized and cluttered, it gives the impression that there isn’t much room to store things. If you have too many things, it may be necessary to rent a storage unit to make your storage less cluttered.

Your storage space doesn’t only apply to bedroom closets and extra storage areas. Take the time to organize your kitchen cabinets so everything can be easily found. It’s a big issue when a kitchen doesn’t have the room needed for people to cook.

7. Put on a Fresh Coat of Paint

If it’s been a while since you last painted your home, your walls may be showing signs of age. Old paint is one of the last things a home-buyer wants to see.

Nobody wants to spend their time painting when they first move into a house. Moving is hard enough as it is. If you put on a fresh coat of paint before selling, it will help your home look and feel fresh.

This goes for wallpaper, as well. Wallpaper is a personal choice and will be something that turns people off. Remove any you have and paint it with a neutral color.

8. Make Sure Your Appliances Work

Are you leaving your appliances in your house? If so, make sure everything works before you put your home on the market. If one of your machines appears to be working and is showing signs of problems, bring in a repair company to make sure there isn’t a severe problem.

It’s also a good idea to clean your appliances before showing your home. Nobody wants to use something that looks used and worn out.

Don’t Ignore Home Prep Before Selling

You want to make your home presentable for anyone who thinks your home will be their next home. Use the home prep tips above to help get your house sold faster.

Do you want to learn more home renovation tips? Keep browsing our blog to learn everything you need to know.