By making your home beautiful and comfortable now, it will be ready for a quicker and easier sale down the road.

If there is anything we all have learned in the past year, it’s that plans change.  Chances are that any visions you may have had about buying, selling or building a home in the last year are looking drastically different right now.  Many people got wrapped up in the “more, better, bigger” mindset and forgot to look at what we have… here, now, today. 

Since the market is not going to shift significantly in the near future I think it’s important to focus on the home you have right now and how you can improve it for two very good reasons:

1. You should do everything you can to enjoy your home today, because we don’t know what tomorrow brings.
2. When the market starts to come around, people are going to have their pick of homes and if yours is beautiful and well maintained, it will sell much more quickly.

Look at your home with a critical eye to find small problems that could turn into big ones. Or hire an inspector to get it done.

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Now I am not proposing huge renovations or redecorating projects.  I am more interested in fixing maintenance issues, cleaning up, creating curb appeal and doing small facelifts that are budget friendly.  Here are some ideas to get your started.  I am working on some of them in my own home.

Home Facelift  on a Budget

Inspection- Go around the house room by room with a critical eye as a home inspector would.  Make sure the toilet, blinds and appliances work.  Look for cracks in the tiles.  If you are not up for the task but have a little extra cash, hire a home inspector and have them give you the list.  Preventative maintenance can save you from losing a sale later due to a surprise problem.

Curb Appeal – Go outside and take a good hard look at your home.  Do shingles need to be fixed?  A dead shrub replaced?  How about a new mailbox?  Most of these items take more time than money, so make your list and head to your local hardware store.

Decorate - There are many shows on HGTV (such as Designed to Sell & The Stagers) on how to prepare your house for sale and they have lots of great tips that apply to any home, even if you are not ready to sell just yet. 

1. Get rid of the clutter.  It will make you feel better mentally and emotionally.
2. If you have a collection of supplies for projects that never happened, return them to the store for cash or credit.
3. Remove the heavy window treatments and lets the light and air in.
4. Don’t keep furniture just because it was passed down to you.  If you don’t have room for it, consign it, donate it, or get rid of something else you are not emotionally attached to.
5. If a room is awkward or boring, paint it in a neutral but beautiful color.  Bold colors are not your best bet for future resale.

When it comes time to buy a new home, the last thing most people are going to look for is a fixer- upper.  They will not want to to spend more time and money rehabbing a dilapidated house.  Make their decision easy by keeping your home attractive and in good condition.  Planning ahead now will ensure a smooth sale down the line.

 

Win this Gorgeous $32o Lamp!

Tags: decorating tips

This entry was posted on Monday, March 2nd, 2009 at 8:44 am and is filed under decorating tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.