Are you thinking about selling your house this summer? If so, make sure you read this blog post all the way through to discover 4 home improvements to make before selling this summer so you can increase the likelihood that you can sell…
When is the best time to sell? Most people think it is the spring, and summer is second or third best. However, common wisdom doesn’t apply in the current market with housing inventories still low (the number of houses for sale vs the number of people wanting to buy houses), so summer is a great time this year!
However, if you are trying to sell your home in the summer, you still have to try so here are 4 home improvements to make before selling this summer to increase the likelihood that you’ll sell faster and closer to your asking price.
Home Improvement #1. Clean Your Exterior
I like projects when it comes to houses. Most people are not like me. Most potential buyers want a home that is move in ready, and easy to maintain. They don’t want to move in then spend two weeks doing yard work. Also they want to know that the previous owner took care of the property.
The easiest way to show that is by paying attention to the exterior of your home by cleaning it up. It is the first thing potential buyers see, and will get them a lot closer to a yes with a nice tidy appearance before they even set foot in the home.
Power wash the walls, weed the path, wash the windows, replace the missing downspout. These might seem like small actions but they can have a big impact.
Home Improvement #2. Landscaping
I usually focus on the interior of the home. Building a sexy kitchen is a lot of fun for me, however, getting your hands dirty (or hiring a landscaping company) can have just as big of an impact as a nice kitchen. You don’t have to be extravagant but put in some time to make your home’s exterior look really good.
Turn the soil in the garden and plant flowers, put mulch around each tree, apply a weed killer and fertilizer to encourage grass growth.
Maybe plant a bush or two. Small improvements add up to a big difference.
Home Improvement #3. Paint The Exterior
If you’ve owned your home for a while, the paint trim on the doors and windows can fade or chip. A new paint job, which can be quickly applied on a weekend, will have a tremendous upgrading effect to encourage buyers to take a second look at your home. Especially because many houses in Baton Rouge are brick. You aren’t required to paint the whole house, although painted brick looks great too. Just focus on the trim and get everything looking clean and fresh.
Home Improvement #4. Add A Deck
This last home improvement might seem like a lot but you can add a smaller deck fairly affordably to your backyard, and it will just make your backyard seem so much more inviting and ready for family barbecues. It really isn’t super complicated either. You just need some lumber, a bit of concrete for the posts, and a ton of screws or nails. Three months ago I would not have recommended this because lumber prices were out of control, but now that they are falling back to normal, it is a great value add in some cases.
Summary
This summer is a good time to sell a house but you can still help to speed up the process a bit by making these 4 home improvements before selling. You’ll be glad you did!