The Top 3 Features Buyers Want

by Alicia Herring

Sellers are often torn about spending money on their for sale house when they're planning to move to a new house.  So here are simple improvements that will give buyers what they want and give you the most bang for your buck.

After location and price range, the top features buyers are looking for in a property are:

  1. Current flooring
  2. Fresh paint
  3. Adequate storage

While you may need to tackle basic home repairs first, these simple cosmetic improvements are low-cost and will enhance the top features buyers are looking for when shopping for a home.

Move Boxes and Clutter Off-Site

Buyers are looking for large, open rooms that aren't cluttered and that includes storage spaces like closets, storage rooms, and the garage.  Hiding your home's good features behind piles of clutter will only make it harder for buyers to fall in love with your home.  The first step in de-cluttering and showing buyers the ample amount of space your home has is by relocating your clutter and stored items to an off-site storage space.  This could be a nearby rental storage unit or your in-laws basement.  Whichever the case, the more cleared out your home is, the more it will appeal to buyers.  Box up anything you won't be using in the next few months (including holiday decorations, seasonal clothing or sports equipment, old toys, etc.) and store it off-site.  Remove boxes and stored items from closets, storage rooms, and the garage to show buyers the ample storage your home hosts.  Remove clutter and any furniture that may look less-than-perfect or make a room feel crowded.  Bottom line: make your home like a hotel suite.
Not sure what's necessary to make your home look it's best?  Get pro staging help today.

Showcase Flooring

The style and condition of a home's flooring reveal a lot about how a home has been maintained.  Rather than putting your home on the market with flooring that's dated or worn and likely to turn buyers off, consider deep-cleaning or replacing wood, carpet, and tile.  Having carpet and tile professionally steam cleaned can often revive its appearance.  For very little money, peel and stick linoleum tiles can brighten and modernize flooring that's dark and dated.  Or, vinyl flooring that's easy to install can float over old flooring for a fresh, new appearance.

** When you want a cost-effective flooring replacement option, carpeting is the best choice.  Rather than giving a $5,000 carpet allowance or reducing your sale price, replace the carpet and pad for less; making this change ahead of time keeps you, the Savvy Seller, in control of the budget.

Paint

Any nail holes or cracks in your walls will no-doubt need to be patched and touched-up so as not to be an eye-sore.  Beyond that, bringing fresh paint to your interior and exterior goes a long way toward attracting a buyer.  While an inviting exterior color pallet will give your home curb appeal to initially attract buyers, fresh, neutral interior paint will enable buyers to see themselves living in your home.  When repainting with the intent to sell, neutral colors are best.  I discuss interior re-painting including how to determine if it's necessary in your home and what colors are best in this blog post and video lesson.

Rehab Windows

Dark draperies, torn window shades, or bent mini-blinds will do nothing to sell a home faster. Remove these outdated items and opt to leave windows bare or replace add affordable white mini-blinds or wood blinds.This is an easy fix that can refresh your rooms in a hurry.  In rooms without much natural light, removing and storing screens can brighten the otherwise dreary space.  Light-colored sheers are a great option to hang in place of dark, dated or patterned window treatments.

Style Bathrooms and Kitchens

Most Realtors will tell you that the two rooms that sell a home are the kitchen and the bathroom.  So if you're looking to sell now, make sure these rooms are perfectly polished even if an extensive remodel isn't possible at this time.  A fresh kitchen backsplash or re-painting a bath vanity and adding new hardware are affordable ways to make a lasting impression on buyers.  Deep cleaning, re-grouting, and replacing worn or mis-matched plumbing, hardware, and appliances can have a transformative effect.  In all homes that I stage, I bring in decor to make kitchens feel gourmet and baths appear like a spa.  My favorite staging props, available here, are an affordable way to be sure your kitchen and baths appeal to buyers.  

Add Closet Systems

Crowded closets stuffed with clothing and household items make it look like there isn’t enough storage. Instead, go through closets and purge anything that’s not currently needed. Once the closet is empty, you can opt to install a new closet system from a home center or clean and freshen-up the existing rod/shelves and refill with just enough of your stuff so the closet looks organized, but not cluttered.  Hanging clothes on matching hangers, like these simple metal ones, makes spaces look organized and like a boutique.  Arrange folded items like sweaters by color on shelves and keep loose items sorted in matching baskets like these.  

** To appeal to buyers, make your closets look like the displays in a high-end boutique.  

Looking for more staging ideas for your home? 

  1. Read this blog post --- > My #1 Staging Tip
  2. Get a Staging Checklist to learn what's necessary to prepare your home for market --- > Staging Checklist  (this service is available in any location via video call :)
  3. Shop my recommended staging products --- > Staging Essentials

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