When it comes time to sell a home, most home Sellers will have top of mind that they want to reel in the most money that they can for the home that they’re trying to sell. Of course…who wouldn’t?! We all want the most money and then some. As a homeowner, one of your first questions is “What can I do to boost my home’s value?” Just how can you boost your home’s value? Discover the secrets now…..

If only it was as easy as the way we get our boost in today’s fast-paced world where we grab an energy bar or drink, eat the latest health food promising to boost our immune system and energy levels. Or perhaps it’s that shot of caffeine that seems to get us out of bed in the morning or provides the boost to get our creative and intellectual juices flowing. Unfortunately, there aren’t any magical boosters promising such a benefit to our home’s value.

Other than the typical, well-known ways such as, updating your Kitchen and Bathrooms, replacing worn out carpeting, replacing an older roof and replacing dated appliances – what else can you do?

This weeks article focuses on learning 4 secrets that aren’t typically discussed as increasing a home’s value; they’re non-traditional methods.

These secrets are more about enabling a home Buyer to perceive your home to be of greater value, which results in them being willing to pay more for your home, thus increasing your home’s value. Exactly what you want!

There really are some clever methods (tricks of the trade) and today’s article is going to focus on just that for increasing a home’s value. Don’t go anywhere yet, as you won’t want to miss out on what I’m going to reveal. It’s crazy good and helpful.

Let’s get started….

1. Make Your Home Appear Larger

Well, just how are you going to be able to make your home appear larger, you’re wondering. Well, I am not talking about planning for a home addition – no, not at all. I’m going to discuss the “appearance” of making your home larger.

Open up space in rooms throughout your home.

I can’t tell you about the numerous times that I’ve viewed homes for sale with prospective home Buyers and so many of the rooms in the homes just appeared so small….so tiny. The Buyers gasped wondering how their things would ever fit in this space. It’s important to understand that not all Buyers will be able to see beyond the stuff, even if they have a Real Estate Agent like me in tow, who can explain to them that it’s just the “extra stuff” in the room. When in fact, they really weren’t so exceptionally small, but rather they were stacked full of larger furniture and all this extra stuff. Lots of stuff.

The Fix:

Ok, think minimal. Get out the chisel and start chiseling your furniture down to size. Okay, I know that you can’t really do that, but you can make it as if you did chisel away.  Let’s say for example, in your master bedroom you have large, oversized bedroom furniture that includes a large wooden 4 post bed frame.  Pack up the 4 post frame and put it in storage until you move and can place it in your new home. You’ll be left with just your bed. Dress it up nicely now with your beautiful comforter, bedspread or duvet cover accented with complimentary throw pillows.

Remove the excess furniture.  Too many dressers, tables, chairs, display cases, etc can clutter up any room to the point of it feeling crowded. It’s time to pare down and pack up. Put the excess furniture in storage or as a worst-case scenario in the garage – just get it out of sight from your home’s rooms.

2. Remove The Evidence Of Pets And Children

Evidence of pets and children can put a damper on the true appeal of your home. What do you mean, you’re wondering; remove the evidence of my pets and children?! I love my pets, and of course, I love my children; they’re the music in my soul – I can’t remove them!

Don’t worry, you don’t have to actually pack up your pets and children.  However, you do have to pack up their things that are scattered everywhere in your home that can distract from your home’s features that you’d like to highlight.

Your Pets – oh how we love our pets. They adore us no matter what kind of mood we’re in day in and day out. They greet us with open arms, it seems, every time we come through the front door. What do you do about your pets?

The Fix:

To begin with, you must eliminate their presence throughout the entire house.  Gather up their food dishes, their toys, their bed, their training cage and of course, their smell.

Place all of their things in one spot, perhaps in the garage in a storage container and/or box. Just get it out of the house when it’s show time. And if they have toys that they really don’t play with too much, you can pack it up and keep it packed up during the home open. After you’re under offer and you have found your buyer, you can bring it all out as there are no longer prospective home Buyers roaming through your home day in and day out.

Critically important along with the tangible pet things is the smell. We don’t always notice our pet’s smell as we live with it every day. But, believe me, new visitors to your home will notice.  Removing the evidence of pets, including a deep, deep clean and the smell is usually deep within their toys and bedding. After you complete the deep clean, it would be a good time to buy fresh new bedding and throw away the old, along with any toys that grab a hold of odours. If they have favourites, make sure you put them in the washing machine.

The quicker and more willingly that you comply with the pet evidence removal, the faster you’ll get an offer and priced right.

Your Children – our pride and joy that can come with messes and lots of toys. It’s only natural as children are explorers at a young age out to discover all that they can and then when they’re pre-teens and teenagers, well … you know what happens during those years.

The Fix:

Just as we removed the evidence of our pets, we have to do the same for our children, except we don’t have to get rid of bedding and toys that absorb odours, as thank goodness, our children aren’t typically stinky. Unless of course, you have teenage athletes and they have smelly athletic equipment and shoes – it can go in the garage alongside the pet items.

Little ones can mark up walls with crayons and markers or if you’ve adopted the chalkboard paint craze to any walls, now is a good time to clean up both of these areas, thus removing the evidence of children and their little ooops.  Keeping the chalkboard painted walls cleaned is important too, so make sure that your little one isn’t creating their Picasso on your chalkboard wall, while in the midst of selling your home.

This is a great time to sit down with your children, those who are old enough to understand that something is being disrupted in their normal, everyday lives. Get them to be a part of the move, letting them know that you want them to play an important part in getting the home ready for the move and getting them excited about what lies ahead in their new home. Always focusing on the positive. This way they will be more agreeable in the cleaning up of all their treasured toys.

3. Make Your Storage Areas Adequate

If you have limited storage space or your closets, pantry and cupboards are filled to the brim, now is the time to clean them out. Highlight these areas as being adequate with the appearance of these spaces being stacked, folded, topped and trimmed out neatly.  By doing this, any prospective Buyer can get a feeling that your storage space is indeed adequate for them.

The Fix:

Grab a few boxes and clear out your overstuffed closets, pantry, and cupboards. Throw out or donate what you’re not using.

4. Matching Your Home’s Exterior To The Interior

Don’t take away from the beautifully designed, decluttered and styled interior of your home by neglecting your home’s exterior.  That’s a sure fire way to discount what you’ve accomplished on the inside of your home. You have spent so much time preparing the inside of your home, so why are you leaving your home’s exterior in it’s “pre-interior, upgrade stage”?

Prospective home Buyers will love the inside when they see the beautiful photos that will be displayed on the internet and your signboard, but their heads will spin when they see how the front of your home just doesn’t match the interior!  (Important note: by the way, always make sure you hire an Agent who is skilled at presenting your home with a magnificent digital marketing campaign that includes all of your beautiful photos – don’t experience what happens when you choose wrong).

Of course, you won’t have to spend dollar for dollar on the outside of your home to match the inside, yet you do have to bring some resemblance of matching beauty to the outside while updating its curb appeal.

The Fix:

Carefully manicure the home’s exterior that includes all the living, breathing greenery right up to the home’s entrance, paths, walls, brick and/or siding, front doors, windows, roofline, and roof itself – all the more appealing to home Buyers.

• Trim, weed, and mulch all your garden beds.
• Missing, sparse bushes, trees and flowers? Fill in the spaces with colourful plants pleasing on the eye and nose.
• Dead plants need to be removed too.
• Remove all dirt, debris and insect webs from your doors and windows.
• Apply a fresh coat of paint to your front door.
• Shine up or replace your door handles and locks.
• What does your home’s house numbers look like? Would they benefit the home with a fresh new set of numbers?
• Make your windows shine as if to welcome the birds to fly through them.
• Make Sure Your Home Has Clear Pathways.

When a prospective home Buyer comes to view your home, make sure the flow is easy. Make sure there are not any unwanted stop signs so to speak.  When they walk into a room, it should be easy for them to see where to walk and where to gaze; make it easy for them to dream without being obstructed by a piece of furniture or any immovable object.

A number of things can present as being a blocked pathway. For example, blocking the view of a beautiful bright window with a large piece of furniture, or pushing aside a fireplace as if it didn’t even exist according to how your furniture is arranged or having to walk around something when your natural instinct is to go straight through.

Sometimes this can be difficult for a home Seller to visualize and may need a trained eye to assist in clearing the pathways.  Don’t worry, when you hire me to sell your home, I have that gift to clear pathways! A must do when you want to boost your home’s value.

Accent Features in the Home

The Fix:

Remove furniture that blocks key features of your home. Rearrange your furniture for conversation and entertainment areas, and by all means, be sure to accentuate those positive features within your home, such as a fireplace.

Sometimes this can be difficult for a home Seller to visualise and may need a trained eye to assist in clearing the pathways. As part of my services I also supply a home preparation team and stager to clear pathways and make sure you are ship shape and ready to go.

Remember, it’s always about Buyers being able to imagine themselves living in your home; make it easy for them to wander through your home’s natural pathways.

In summary, while many of these secrets discussed today are not tangible items that you go out and purchase for your home in order to add value, but rather it’s about making your home more desirable for any home Buyer who comes to visit.  A home that is seen as desirable to a home Buyer can lead a Buyer prepared to offer more as they feel the home meets their emotional and basic needs.