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Selling a house fast: Tips that will make it happen
Bathrooms and toilets are places that need to be renovated before a house is put on the market. PHOTO/rachel mabala
What you need to know:
Preparing a house for the real estate market is one thing many plan for. Yet, regardless the reason to sell, this is one way of attracting potential buyers.
Ideally buyers should walk in and fall in love with the property they are going to buy. However, sometimes they are only repelled due to the frustrating conditions of the house. Some of these are usually simple issues that can be carefully ironed out before the house is put on sale.
David Gombya, a property broker in Konge, Lukuli says first impression matters which calls for sprucing up your property if you are to sell it faster and at a desirable price.
He says many home owners put on sale property which are in dire state hence increasing the bargaining right of a buyer and causing loss to the seller.
“Before putting that house on sale, just envision the buyers staying in that house without any renovation,” Gombya advises.
“Thanks to sellers who only mind about getting money and not improving the conditions of their houses before putting them on sale, many houses have lost potential buyers yet others have been sold at low prices,” Gombya says.
He adds that it does not require a full house makeover to make it presentable to buyers. However there are some details that ought to be eye catching and make your used property desirable and fit for sale.
Among the key makeovers you can do by yourself to make your old home or property suitable for sale include the following:
Garden charm
Outdoors, especially the front is the first aspect of your house that any buyer will set eyes on, so you should make sure it is at its best.
Mowing outgrown grass, clearing the compound of any stumbles including rocks and logs, cleaning the pavements and decoration stones as well as removal of any obstacles that may make driving into your compound difficult are among the things you can do to make inspection work on your property easy.
Gombya says you can go an extra mile to creat a driveway to your house if it is non-existent.
“Sweeping the compound, planting flowers and trimming your plants in the compound all can impress potential buyers,” he says.
Fix peeling paint, dirty wall and roofs
Weather and old age can leave an unpleasant impact on your house walls rendering it unworthy in the eyes of potential buyers.
Layers of algae can be spotted on walls that have for long been drenched by rain as well as dirty stains brought about by contact with dirty materials and dust.
Mark Nyanzi, a builder, says scrubbing dirty walls and adding colour to them can rejuvenate the house and make it eye-catching to fit in your desired selling price.
“Colouring walls is easy and can be done by anyone, in this, the seller should also thoroughly clean the house and remove any trace of undesirable things like spider webs, ant hills, among others,” he advises.
When it comes to the roof, whether tiled or any other kind of material, growing moss should be removed.
Many old roofs have a tendency of leaking and Nyanzi advises that holes in the roofing material should be sealed with the desirable roof sealant before the house is put on sale.
Gutters should also be cleared of leaf particles and other decayed matter.
Kitchen makeover
Do not give your buyer the impression that the kitchen is valueless and may need to be reconstructed as this can affect the selling price of the home.
Nyanzi says that you may not be able to afford a whole new kitchen but you can try to paint units, vanish wooden components, unblocking clogged sinks, vents and pipes, replacing cupboard handles or doors, among others to make the kitchen presentable.
Good lighting, clean surfaces and floors as well as a clutter-free kitchen can add value to the house.
“Scrubbing stained floors and decluttering to create more space and light can leave a good impression,” Nyanzi says.
“A clean kitchen which does not show signs of aging can be captivating,” he adds.
Increase property value
Homes with mirrors can attract potential buyers or tenants due to a variety of benefits. One unlikely benefit is that they provide the illusion of security by giving the resident a view around their walls, identifying culprits that may otherwise be missed within these blind spots.
When placed in a bathroom, they make this space appear more stylish and bright, especially if the mirror’s design is customised to suit its purpose, such as intriguing shapes, LED lights and even fog-free variants. Mirrors can also serve as a fashion statement, adding a dash of style to your closet space or entryway where they would also be most useful.
Clean bathroom and toilets
Over years, bathrooms and toilet components including the bowls, sinks, tiles, among others tend to get stained and lose colour, rendering them disgusting.
According to Nyanzi, the brighter and cleaner your toilet and bathroom are, the more marketable your house will become as most buyers consider the two components paramount.
He adds that sometimes it may become even costly to replace old bathroom and toilet elements but in the end it is worth it.
“By the use of baking soda and other toilet detergents, scrub all the toilet and bathroom components as well as cleaning clogged bathroom mesh and pipes,” he says.
“If you have a problem with a running toilet or a leaky faucet, make repairs as necessary,” Nyanzi adds.
