You’ve been trying to sell your home, and you’ve done everything you thought was right. You’ve made contact with a real estate agent, had professional photos taken of your home, and opened your home to numerous strangers who have paraded through your hallways for private viewings and open houses. But after weeks of advertising your home, not a single reasonable offer has been made. Sound familiar?

Currently, the average number of days a home stays on the market is 41 days. And, of course, the longer your home is on the market, the more control buyers have when it comes time to negotiate. 

So get your home out of the seller’s limbo by adding perceived value (and absolute value) to your home. Here are 9 simple improvements you can make to your home to make it attractive to prospective buyers and help it sell quickly:

1. Update your mailbox

Updating your mailbox may seem like a pretty silly thing to do at first. But, if we’re talking about making a great first impression on prospective homebuyers, the mailbox is often the first thing someone sees before pulling into the driveway. Plus, it’s the most straightforward improvement you can make to a home.

It can simply be a new mailbox to replace the old, worn-out one you’ve had for years. And let’s face it, most homeowners don’t care much about the appearance of their mailbox, which often becomes an eyesore for their driveway. Or, you could upgrade to a state-of-the-art mailbox that allows USPS to deliver large packages to your mailbox instead of your front door. And we all know that packages that are visible to any passerby are more likely to go uncollected.

In fact, with more and more consumer products being bought online and delivered to homes, you may even consider upgrading to a secure mailbox that keeps your mail and packages safe from theft.

In any case, upgrading your mailbox is a simple and cost-effective way to bring value to your home.

2. Paint Your House Inside and Out

It can’t be emphasized enough, but painting the interior of your home an excellent neutral color goes a long way with potential homebuyers. For example, your children’s rooms may have unique colors that you were insisting on at one time, but not every potential buyer is going to enjoy that purple room as much as your child. So you may want to give those walls a fresh coat of paint so that anyone who visits your home can imagine living in your space.

Everything you are doing to prepare your home for sale is to make your home look its best and allow potential buyers to imagine themselves in every room of your home. You want people visiting your home to think: what if I bought this house? This room could be my office, the kids’ room, the guest bedroom, etc. However, it’s hard for potential buyers to imagine themselves in a room with purple walls.

On the other hand, painting the exterior of your home may be the best solution to get your home sold faster. If the color of your home has lost its former splendor, the paint is chipping, or your home has always been that house on the block that the neighborhood kids call the orange place, you may want to consider painting your home a more current color. 

While painting the exterior of your home can be expensive, when done by professionals, the process has a quick turnaround time, and the result is sure to leave a lasting impression on prospective buyers.

3. Enhance Your Curb Appeal

It doesn’t matter if you live in Dallas, TX, or Portland. However, improving the appearance of your home can go a long way toward making an excellent first impression on prospective buyers.

First, you’ll want to look at the landscaping in front of and around your home. What do the lawn, trees, and general vegetation look like? Ensure the property is freshly cut, all dead debris (such as sticks and leaves) has been picked up, and 5 to 7 cm of fresh mulch has been put down around shrubs, trees, and plants. If your lawn is in poor condition, you may want to consider putting in sod to immediately increase its attractiveness and leave a lasting impression on homebuyers.

Do you have hedges bordering your property or some other form of fruit or decorative trees on your property? Trimming hedges and pruning trees can turn your yard from a messy wasteland into a well-kept, welcoming paradise.

Also, suppose you already have decorative plants to add color to your driveway and entryway. In that case, a few well-placed container plants are an inexpensive and attractive sight for newcomers to your home.

4. Clean, Declutter, and Stage Your Home

Nothing scares potential buyers away more than a messy, disorderly home. To sell your home quickly, it’s a good idea to hire professionals to get everything in order. Clutter and staging your home is a must if you want your home and all of its uniqueness to shine the brightest for prospective buyers.

If your closets are bulging with winter jackets, or you have too many large pieces of furniture in the living room, your spaces won’t look the way they should. People visiting your home like to look not only at the larger rooms but also rummage through closets, drawers, and other storage areas to make sure your stuff will fit. If your stuff is in the way, it’s much harder for buyers to see your space. 

Also, a thorough cleaning is a must before any visit to a home or open house. If you have a cat or dog (or both), you probably don’t smell them anymore. However, people who don’t have pets are very aware of homes that do because it’s a smell they’re not used to. If you’re looking for a quick change, a professional can help you remove odors, stains, and anything else you’re no longer aware of and make your home look new again.

5. Fence in Your Backyard and Refinish Your Deck

It’s incredible what a renovated deck or a new cedar fence enclosing a backyard can do for a home. Not only is it functional and aesthetically pleasing, but the return on investment is nothing to shy away from if you’re looking for an easy project that will help you sell your home quickly.

The national average in 2019 to recoup the cost of a wood deck addition on a home is 75.6%. So, while you may take a financial hit when adding a wood deck to your home, you would recover most of the cost and be able to sell your home faster because of the additional feature.

Similarly, adding a fence to your property can do wonders for your home in a relatively short amount of time. Plus, according to a 2018 survey by the American Pet Products Association, 67% of American households have a pet, which means that more than half of the people who visit your home have a furry little friend. So a backyard fence is a perk for some homebuyers but a must-have for others.

6. Fix Your Light Switches and Update Your Fixtures

That’s right, people visiting your home will play with your faucets, open your drawers and test ALL of your light switches. If you have a light switch that doesn’t work (or an outlet), now is the time to fix it. Light switches that don’t work mean to buyers that your home may have electrical problems, when in reality, it may be something much smaller. However, at that point, you’ve already lost that potential bargain.

You’ll also want to replace all blown bulbs to ensure that every room in your home is bright and welcoming. In addition, all interior lights should be the same color temperature so that the lighting is uniform throughout the house.

Updating light fixtures, ceiling fans, and even door and cabinet hardware is an easy and cost-effective way to increase the perceived value of your home. If you already have an electrician to fix your light switches, you could also replace old brass sconces with ones that have a more contemporary feel. 

In addition to making the interior of your home look more modern to buyers, you can take this opportunity to find fixtures that will help brighten up your home and make it stand out among the other homes for sale in your area. 

7. Upgrade Your Garage Door

Installing a new garage door is one of the easiest and quickest ways to give your home a much-needed facelift and impress prospective buyers. New garage doors recoup almost all of the money spent on them, and in some areas such as the West Coast, a new garage door recoups more than your initial investment – 123.8% on average. That means your new garage door could put money back in your pocket.

There are several styles and designs to choose from, be sure to go with a style that fits the look of your home. Especially if you’ve recently painted your home a more contemporary color, a new garage door can be that easy home improvement that pushes home viewers to make genuine offers.

8. Get a New Front Door

Give others entryway envy by updating your front door and transforming the character of your home. Over the years, front doors have taken a lot of abuse and started to look worn and tired. Luckily, a new front door is quick to replace and a very cost-effective way to make your entryway unique and aesthetically pleasing to anyone who steps on your doormat.

Solid wood doors are always classic for homes that won’t go out of style anytime soon. They are sturdy and last much longer than alternative materials such as fiberglass. In addition, glass inlay entry doors can give your entryway more natural light for your home’s interior. In any case, a new door is a quick and easy way to impress homebuyers.

9. Update Your Kitchen Appliances for a Fresh Look

If you want to sell your home faster, updating your kitchen with modern, timeless stainless steel appliances is a great way to do it. While it can be costly, new appliances appeal to first-time homebuyers, and you could see more competitive offers as a result.

In addition, your appliances will most likely need to be upgraded anyway. Typically, larger appliances, such as refrigerators and stoves, need to be replaced every ten years, while smaller appliances usually need to be replaced every five years. However, upgrading appliances is a safe bet if you want to sell your home quickly.

It’s your turn to be a homeowner in New Jersey

If you are interested in acquiring your new home, do not hesitate to contact our EXP Realty consultants. We guarantee quality attention and the best homes in the area, with personalized marketing strategies to achieve the most significant benefit.

You will not regret working with us because we seek your best interests. Our clients certify them.