5 Tips for Winning Over Potential Buyers When Prepping Your Home for Sale

Selling your home is equal parts thrilling and exhausting.

After all, there are mountains of paperwork and seemingly endless lists of “must-do’s” to ensure that your house is as attractive as possible to potential buyers.

Here’s the deal, though: there are some particular pieces of the puzzle that you really need to focus on if you want to win over buyers. This rings true regarding both how your space is put together and how to treat prospective buyers once you’re dealing with them face-to-face.

But what elements of selling your home are the most important? We’ve put together a quick list of five tips to make sure that the selling process goes as smoothly as possible.

The Most Important Renovations First

While you may be tempted to try to completely renovate your home in pursuit of buyers, consider the sheer amount of time and legwork involved in doing so. Barring any major messes or repairs, chances are you don’t need to spend a fortune to make buyers swoon once they walk through the door. Sprucing up your home means focusing on the rooms and aspects of decorating that matter the most.

And don't’ let the word “renovate” scare you, either. There are some relatively low-cost investments you can make to your home that won’t set you back including…

· Cleaning your floors: whether you’re dealing with hardwood or carpet, a proper deep cleaning can make all the difference to guests stepping into your home for the first time

· Window blinds: controlling the shade and level of natural light in any given room can help bring out its personality

· Painting your walls: a fresh coat or a neutral color are good ideas, as those moving in certainly don’t want to deal with such a project upon purchase

Clean Like Crazy

This might seem obvious but consider how much more appealing a spotless home is versus somewhere full of clutter. Ideally, you can spread out your cleaning over the course of weeks and mothers; however, it may be necessary to hire a professional service for the sake of your sanity. While paying for such a service may seem wasteful, it’s worth it in the long run if it gets the ball rolling on your home sale.

Remove “You” from the Equation

Piggybacking on the last tip, decluttering is an obvious part of preparing your home for buyers and moving alike. Consider that it’s difficult for others to imagine themselves in your space if your own decorations or family pictures are scattered everywhere. When in doubt, anything that makes your house seem more neutral or seemingly generic is actually a plus in your situation.

Give Your Buyers Some Space

Don’t neglect the impact that you have in terms of your presence as a seller. When showing your house, it’s important to give buyers space to walk around at their leisure versus acting as a nagging tour guide. Yes, you should be around to answer questions as needed; however, hounding your buyers could quickly sour them on your property.

Don’t Be a Salesperson

Finally, make a point to talk up the positives about your house but don’t outright lie or try to be deceptive in order to sell your home. Bear in mind that you’ll likely undergo an inspection and appraisal anyway, so anything major is going to be brought up sooner rather than later.

Either way, don’t obsess over trying to say the “right” comments to buyers and focus on being warm and friendly.

Although these tips might seem daunting on the surface, they’re absolutely crucial to signaling that your house is buyer-friendly. Any combination of these tips is fair game for those either struggling to sell their homes or feel it’s about time to put theirs on the market.