Spring is right around the corner, and with the shift in seasons the real estate market will be shifting too. For families considering making their next meaningful move, now is the time to begin preparing your home for sale. What can you expect with home preparations and new trends in 2022? Read on for more insights…
Make Your Home Stand Out – In-Person and Online
With a continued competitive real estate market expected for 2022, making your home visually unique and attractive is that much more important. Particularly in the pandemic climate, positioning your home for both in-person visits and open houses, as well as virtual walk-throughs and online listings, is critical for success. To increase the chances of your home being noticed for the right reasons, emphasize cleaning and polishing the home as much as possible.
Focus on removing anything personal from your home (photographs being a big one!), shift or remove furniture to ensure an optimal layout, and repaint where needed. Small details such as opening the window shades, planting flowers, and edging your lawn also go a long way to peak prospective buyers’ interests.
Take Care of Outstanding Maintenance Tasks
Minor home repairs are often inconvenient – and therefore pushed to the side – but when it comes time to sell your home, making those repairs could make all the difference. The reason for this is that deferred maintenance tasks can pose a turnoff to potential buyers who may interpret that letting minor repairs go means larger repairs have also been ignored. Even something as simple as a leaky faucet or a broken hinge can be a red flag for a buyer. By handling these issues upfront, you are showing prospective buyers that you take pride in your home and care for it too. Making these repairs can also help when it comes time for the home inspection – as they won’t be flagged if they are repaired! – so this can help streamline the closing process.
Stage Your Home
The goal of staging your home is to make a lasting and positive impression when a prospective buyer enters your space. A recent statistic cited that on average, staged homes sell 88% faster and for 20% more than those that are not staged. Staging does not need to require a significant investment, but rather it relies on choosing intentional pieces for the home (artwork, furniture, linens, etc.) that make the space inviting and enticing. You also do not need to stage every room in your home, but rather focus on rooms that are most attractive to buyers – including the kitchen, family room, master bedroom suite, and bathrooms. We often work with Hinsdale-based Shannon Antipov Designs, an award-winning company specializing in luxury interior design and staging. Staging is all about the details, and as Shannon and her team will attest, it is an extra, important step to aid in the sale of your home.
2022 is going to be another exciting year in the real estate world, and the team at The Mike McCurry Group is honored to support you on your journey. From making your home stand out, to completing repairs and staging your space, we are here to help you each step of the way as you make a meaningful move.