life back into the house. It could easily be the difference between a sale and a near miss, so it’s worth the effort. These subtle little hints will create the blank canvas aspect that you are going for, plus it will do wonders for encouraging the buyers to begin envisioning their own lives here.
UPDATE FIXTURES
Anything broken must be repaired and anything looking rundown should be replaced. This is so the buyer does not immediately get overwhelmed with a list of “little” things to change and fix if they agree to buy. You want your buyer confident that they can get the keys and just start living. Anything that feels like too much of a “fixer-upper” will be a major turn off for most buyers. Make sure you check all the doorknobs, faucets, and lights—and then fix them.
SMALL REPAIRS AND TASKS TO CONSIDER
When selling a home that you have inherited, your rooms will look larger if the walls are light colored and the lighting is bright. If any walls are painted in a dark color, you might want to think about painting them white or off-white. If the walls are a light color but dirty, another coat should freshen them up. Increasing the wattage of the light bulbs in the house can brighten it up as well. If the house is carpeted, replace or completely clean stained or odorous areas. If you don’t want to replace the carpet, a good shampooing should take out the worst of the dirt and make it smell better. Clean and polish all the mirrors and windows. Thoroughly clean the oven or remove it if dated or damaged and not worth selling with the house. Clean the drip pans under each
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