There are so many things that can be done by the homeowner to help get their prized possession... their home... ready for sale. So many of these things are the really "small" things. Things so small that many sellers wouldn't think they would make a difference... and things so small... that they probably we not even aware of.
Probably one of the main areas of concern... is the kitchen.
Recently I read a blog post about another Realtor who was trying to point out as many positives about a home as possible... all designed to get a certain buyer to commit to buying the home. After naming off a litany of features and benefits... the buyer stopped the Realtor and simply said... "I know this is a nice house... but for us... it just doesn't 'feel like home.' We want to keep looking."
So... a trip to the kitchen... and spending some time there... not only might, but could be a great way to not only shorten the time it takes to sell your home... but may even cause your home to sell for more than it otherwise could have.
Everybody likes a comfortable, roomy, airy, bright and cheerful kitchen. So... look around. Are the walls a dark color ? If so, paint them a lighter, softer color. Perhaps pick one of the softer light-beige-is tones many of the builders use. Sort of an "ecru" comes out very nicely.
Is your kitchen wallpapered ? If so... does it look old, used, or out-moded ? If so... you really might want to remove that wallpaper... sand down the walls, or clean off all the leftover wall-paper paste... and buy a few cans of that ecru paint mentioned above.
How do your cabinets look ? Are they painted ? Or, if they are wood-finished... is the finish uneven, worn, or faded ? You might be wise to consult a professional painter-wood refinisher for this one... but nothing quite sets off a kitchen... than sparkling, soft-satin finish wood cabinets. You might be able to get away with simply replacing the doors.
How about the counter-tops ? If you have the old Formica finish... take a very, very close look at the counter surfaces. Are they chipped ? Are there cut-marks in them ? You might be better off just replacing the formica finish. Some might suggest a hard-surface, granite-type counter-top. That... can get very, very expensive... and I have at times seen sellers replace Formica counters with granite, only to find that most of the prospective buyers did not like the "finish" that the seller selected.
Sometimes a kitchen has fewer cabinets than might be needed. The easiest way to improve that... if there is no room to add cabinets... is simply to "thin out" the cabinet contents. Nothing trumpets a too-small kitchen... than cupboards that are crammed with everything "except the kitchen sink.
There are many more things that could be done to improve a home's sale-ability... but focussing on the kitchen... is a great place to start.
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