Augie 
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If you want to sell a house fast, you have to make it stand out. There’s plenty of competition and the typical buyer wants their home to make a statement. A key element of getting your house sold is Curb Appeal. That’s right, how inviting does your house look from the street. As my wife Audrey, an Accredited Staging Professional, likes to ask, “Does your house say, ‘Welcome’ or ‘Beware’.”
To maximize your Curb appeal we recommend prepping the outside:
Mow the lawn
Mow and edge once a week during the summer and every other week during the winter (depending on climate). Pretend this is your own home (or better).
Landscaping
Make sure hedges and trees are trimmed well, not cut back. Add potted plants to the yard if it looks too empty. Fill in any problem spots, and water them regularly. Trim shrubs and bushes from the top down and trees from the bottom up! For quick renovation projects where you don’t have time to plant and water new flowers, try silk flowers for that touch of color. They’re inexpensive and look great! Another cheap way to make the flower beds pop is to put down a thin layer of mulch. This is a quick, inexpensive fix.
Paint
Paint any major rough spots or peeling paint areas. Paint the front door, if it needs it, and any entrance way or landing. (Use a three color approach- a light neutral color for the majority of the house, a darker or lighter shade for the trim and a bold high gloss for the front door.) You can find excellent 3 color palettes at most major home improvement stores. If money is tight, just paint the front…remember its Curb Appeal we’re looking for. Note – consider the colors in the neighborhood and keep with the theme, a bright blue house in an earth tone neighborhood will be a tough sell…no matter how much you like the color! Your going for a clean, crisp look. There should be nothing exotic for the average house.
Front door tip – for about $20.00 you can make the front door pop by adding a brass-tone kick plate. New door hardware is usually a very good investment!
Throw Away Trash
Clutter is a major deal killer for the retail buyer so throw away any piles of old junk. Clean out the garage and paint the floor if it is stained. You’ll be amazed at the difference. Dark Grey is a good color.
Pressure Wash Drive Way
If driveway is very grease-stained, have it pressure cleaned. If it still looks shabby, paint it. Don’t go crazy with colors, there are some nice grey concrete paints and if you have an asphalt drive way you can get it resurfaced for a modest price.
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For more great advice on how to maximize the inside of your home, check out 5 Fend Shui Concepts to Help a Home Sell.
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Interesting! This is my favorite post about How to Sell a House Fast | Creative Real Estate Investing Guide.
Hey James,
Good assessment of the current market and impending economic probabilities. My preference is to buy with seller financing or control properties with sandwich lease options or master leases. They afford flexibility, greater safety and offer the investor maximum exits. If you are selling in this market be prepared to offer terms and you have a much higher chance of a successful outcome.
Happy investing!
Thanks for the kind words. Hope you have success in your blogging!
Hi Jerry:
Thanks for your excellent and professional insight. I agree, crisp fresh interior paint brings a house alive. The purpose of the curb appeal is to get people out of the car. Great choice of colors! We also paint walls and ceiling the same color it speeds up the job and looks great! Your thoughts on drywall are right on, no paint job ca cover up mis-mstched wall textures.
To your success…
Do you mind if I use some peices of your article, for my site as well? I would give credit where its due and proide a link
You are welcome to do so. I hope it helps your business. Pressure washing is one of the best values for preparing a house for quick sale. the house, drive and walkways can look brand new when power washed properly! Good luck!
To your success..
Augie
Decluttering is the way to go.I stuck everything up in the loft even my most prized computer. Another thing that was pointed out to me was not to make the house feel to personal. I think if you take this route from the start everting else will follow.
Investing in landscaping is really important; I find this is crucial to get people looking at your ad pictures and say “Wow! That looks nice!” First impression counts as they say.
Great advice and it is so simple to have your home ready for sale without too much expense. Other great tactics includes the small things like fresh flowers, home baked bread as it smells beautiful through out the house, cleaner light switches and door handles. Ensure all rooms are warm or cool as this also attracts buyers. Rent some furniture if yours is a little shabby. It is these little things that we notice when looking at a home to buy or lease.
Another great way to sell a house is through advertising. This would entail a few exterior and interior shots of the house. A great way to help out in this aspect is strategic lighting. Bad lighting can make a nice house seem dingy and gloomy. Great lighting can help make the house’s assets stand out. Be careful, though, about conveying a false image of the house. Take care not to disappoint potential buyers by coming out with photos that do not seem to match the actual house.
Here are a few things you could do to improve your home curb appeal:
1. Trim hedges and mow your lawn.
2. Clean all windows and surfaces.
3. Repaint walls, doors, and trims in neutral colors.
4. Replace old window blinds or drapes, and update the window treatments.
5. Power wash or paint the exterior.
Hope it will helps peoples to sell their home fast.
Thanks
Excellent tips, thanks for the post…
You are right on the money. Any way we can differentiate our property and project quality over the local competition give us an edge. This is especially crucial in the current market.
Thanks for your comment!
Augie
You areright Richard, without curb appeal many buyers won;t even get out of the car to see what’s inside.
To your success…
Augie
That was very interesting. There are not a lot of blogs out there with good information on this topic. I hope to read more interesting comments when I come back in a few days. Thank you for the information.
Be ready to show the house at a moment’s notice. Make sure you pack up the junk and rent a storage unit as clutter and junk will erode the potential equity your house will bring. If there are too much ‘junk’ in a room it makes the room look smaller and distracts the buyer’s attention. Perform a thorough house cleaning. Make the windows shine and wipe down the baseboards. Keep the sink empty and wiped, and make sure that the bathroom and kitchen are spotless. Don’t forget to eradicate unpleasant odors. It’s important that your house should look as close to move-in condition as possible – all the time!
Painting the garage floor is a good idea, usually easier then to clean. Currently ours is dark red, dark grey sounds good though, probably better.
Painting in general will definitely help, it’s quick, cheap and makes the overall look so much better.
I have an aunt that works in real state, I think im gonna send her this article to see if she can stop complaining about her houses not getting sold while sitting on her desk all day long…
Let me ask you this. If your house has a lot of trees around it would you try to cut some of the trees down to present a better landscape or would you leave them there?
First, I would make an effort to keep with the character of the neighborhood. I’d also consider safety of the structure. NExt I’d consider improving curb appeal.
There are some light grey and beiges garage flooe paints which are pretty stain resistant and look great! Check your local home improvement store.
Great idea!!
Some excellent tips in this article. May I suggest that the smell from pets can also be a potential problem? You may not notice certain odors from loveable Fido but you can be certain that prospective buyers will. To target this problem; air out the home regularly as smelly pet smells can potentially drive buyers away. A tip is to perhaps place fresh flowers in the home or bake a nice cake right before a showing.
Good point about pressure washing the driveway; most people forget about that section of the property but it’s actually one of the first things that prospective buyers will notice.
These tips are very useful for homeowners who want to sell their property fast and at a good price. I guess what really matters at the end of the day is to sell a property in a prime location. However, when a homeowner does the things you enumerated, for sure he can sell his house quickly and at a good price.
Thanks for the kind words. The key in this market is once a decision is made to sell then you have to take every action you can to get the property sold. Improving curb appeal and clutter removal along with a fresh coat of paint can add thousands to a sale price and cut selling time by months!
Happy investing…
Wow!! Your advice is great! I will follow your ideas to maximize the value my house. We must be careful regarding terms while selling /buying a house. Will you please explain the legal terms regarding property dealing. Thanks for your help.
Thanks for the kind words. If you are looking for the definition of terms, you can subscribe to the Intellectual Capital Report. There is a glossary of real estate terms every month. If you are looking for a legal opinion I recommend you consult a reputable real estate attorney. You can check with your local Real Estate Investor Association for a referral. For a list of REIAs visit National Real Estate Investor Association. They are a great group and have over 200 member associations across the country.
Great tips! Not only for those who are trying to sell a house but it also give good ideas on how to improve your hose when you are short of cash.
Great post
Excellant guide, thanks!
Pressure washing! I forgot that this time around. My house has been for sale for 3 months now even after dropping our price. I am renting the pressure washer this weekend thanks for the reminder!
Great advice. I’ve been trying to sell my condo for months, I’m going to utilize this information and hopefully I will see immediate results.
Awesome guide and super informative. Thanks for sharing.
Great tips I’m in the same boat as amy and have had my place on the market for yonks! Will definately be using some of your tips.
Thanks for the article
You presented great tips. I just want to reiterate that a little painting goes a long way. A touch up or even a fresh coat can make a much better impression than walls that are distracting…
Great advice. I never realized how important landscaping was until I recently updated my front yard and it’s incredible the difference it makes. Thanks.
“Pressure Wash Drive Way
If driveway is very grease-stained, have it pressure cleaned. If it still looks shabby, paint it. Don’t go crazy with colors, there are some nice grey concrete paints and if you have an asphalt drive way you can get it resurfaced for a modest price.”
I gotta say I never really thought about the importance of this one.. Just recently sold our house and the before and after photo’s including the driveway being cleaned really shocked me..
One key thing I would suggest in addition to above list is timing.. timing is critical not only in terms of time of year – ideally spring or autumn, but also timing in terms of property cycles. Get it right and selling your house will be over before you know it.. Get it wrong and it might drag longer than you could imagine..
My husband and I are about to list a house he inherited that’s in good repair, but could definitely use a hand in the curb appeal department. You made some excellent suggestions I haven’t seen anywhere else. I wouldn’t have thought about changing the door hardware, but the door is one of the first things a buyer sees! I may actually change the hardware on our door at home, too. What a great, inexpensive way to give our house a little facelift. Thanks a lot for the great post.
Don’t forget about home staging as well. A professional home stager can make your house look much more attractive to a potential buyer.
It is amazing how much impact a few small but tasteful modifications can make. good luck with your sale!
To your success…
Augie
Completely agree Augie.. People invest way to much time and money in things that cost too much and do not have impact on a buyer.. Look at what ticks the boxes and know what buyers want – focus on those things first.. Remember selling a house is about knowing buyers needs and matching your house to them.. simple..
Great advice and some great comments too. I especially like the idea of pressure washing the drive as it’s one of the first things buyers see when they set foot on your property.
In the past I have completely aired the house with the windows open rather than artificial odors and flowers. That fresh smell helps to promote a feeling of cleanliness in the house. Obviously, you need to keep the place spotless as well.
Thanks for the tips! I actually read these much earlier, but I just came back to say that after following all these tips, I managed to sell my house within 3 days! In fact, mowing the lawn and doing other renovations actually resulted in the value of the house going up exponentially too. I owe you one for these awesome tips!
Sounds like your tips are working out well… i will have to give them a shot and see what happens.. they sound like great ideas
Worked great just had an offer on my house today – Dropping the price helped too!
Thanks, these are great tips.. I hope this will help me save broker fees..whypay them when I can do all the work myself.. Also, i was about to buy an ebook on this topic lol, cause theres a property in North carolina i am looking to sell out fast! This article helped loads!
Keep studying and learning! Good luck with the house in North Carolina. Let us know what you have for sale and maybe we can help spread the word.
To your success…
Augie
I am looking at putting my house on the market very soon, I have the option of moving out to my inlaws and placing my furnishings in storage. Anyone know if would be better off doing that, leaving just empty rooms, or should I leave the furnishings in there to make it look lived in. Not really sure what to do. Any thoughts out there?I have done most of the above to give me the best chance, thanks for that.
We find that housed that are staged sell better than houses that are completely empty. My suggestion to you would be to eliminate all clutter, thin out or empty closets. Remove family photos and personal type items and leave the house furnished and immaculate. The fact that you’ll have some furnishings in there will help prospective buyers visualize what it will look like with their furnishings. Additionally, if this isn’t your strong suit you can hire a professional stager to help you. It can make a big difference in both the time it takes to sell and your final sale price.
To your success…
Augie