Flipping Fixer Upper Homes

One of the most stressful aspects of home ownership comes when it is time to sell a home. Many things need to be covered, from asking the right price to hiring the right realtor, to showing it to the right buyers. The thing that helps to reduce these stresses the most is simply selling the home quickly.

Many homeowners look around their house every day they own it and dream of ways to improve it someday. Unfortunately, someday doesn't usually arrive until the time comes to sell, and the owners then make the mistake of spending a lot of money to make these upgrades to make it really stand out for potential buyers. When it comes to selling homes, the things that are the most effective are geared toward helping the next owner see it as their home, not the home of the seller. Some of the most important of these steps are:

1. Light - The best way to turn off a potential buyer is to have them tour a house that is dark and dreary. In order to avoid this, several things can be done. Replacing old lampshades with new white ones and high-wattage bulbs will help to brighten things up. Curtains and blinds should be open, and bushes in front of windows should be trimmed. A home full of sunlight is much more warm and welcoming.
2. Pets - The cutest puppy in the world can be a welcoming sight for their owner, but not for everyone. Potential buyers will see a pet in the home and immediately think of pet stains and odors, hair throughout the house and damage to the backyard. The best bet is to take the pets along when leaving the house for a showing. The buyers may just want to picture their own pet living there.
3. Depersonalizing - When a buyer looks at a home, they want to imagine themselves living there. That can be difficult to do if the present owner has family pictures and heirlooms throughout the house. Moving these into storage during the selling process will help the buyers see a blank canvas they can turn into their own home.
4. Kitchen - The kitchen is the biggest selling point of a home. With inexpensive fixes such as a fresh coat of paint or new knobs on the cabinets, a kitchen can stand out and really get a buyer's attention.

Making the home generic and allowing buyers the freedom to imagine what they will do with it does more to move up a home up a potential buyer's prospect list than anything else.