Having been in the floor covering industry for nearly 12 years now I've met quite a few Real Estate Agents. One piece of advice that they all echo is to stage your house in a way that helps a potential buyer envision themselves living there. Obviously, I recommend hiring Action Carpet & Floor Covering for all your flooring and tile updates, but if hiring professionals to get your house in tip-top selling shape is not within your budget, here is a short list of things you can do yourself to help make your home more appealing to a buyer.
Kitchen
Grimy old kitchen cabinets can be very unsightly. You don't have to spend a fortune replacing them but, you do need to give them a good cleaning or lightly sand, prime and paint them a neutral color. Replacing cabinet knobs and pulls with new, more up-to-date hardware is an affordable project that you can do yourself and will give new life to older cabinets.
Granite counter tops are a huge selling feature but aren't always in the budget. For smaller kitchens, you can check with granite vendors to see if they have remnants. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that they may have something that will work for your space. (Do NOT attempt to install them yourself. This is definitely a job for the professionals.) Keep this in mind for bathroom counter tops as well.
Make sure all appliances are clean and sparkling inside and out.
Grimy old kitchen cabinets can be very unsightly. You don't have to spend a fortune replacing them but, you do need to give them a good cleaning or lightly sand, prime and paint them a neutral color. Replacing cabinet knobs and pulls with new, more up-to-date hardware is an affordable project that you can do yourself and will give new life to older cabinets.
Granite counter tops are a huge selling feature but aren't always in the budget. For smaller kitchens, you can check with granite vendors to see if they have remnants. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that they may have something that will work for your space. (Do NOT attempt to install them yourself. This is definitely a job for the professionals.) Keep this in mind for bathroom counter tops as well.
Make sure all appliances are clean and sparkling inside and out.
Actual Action Carpet customer's kitchen.
Bathroom
If updating your bathroom wall and/or floor tile is not within your budget, make sure you at least repair/replace areas where the tile is cracked and/or missing. Re-caulk if need be. If the grout has surface mold, be sure to remove it with an appropriate cleaner, or mix your own in a spray bottle with one part water and one part bleach.
A fresh coat of paint on the ceiling and walls is never a bad thing and will give the bathroom a fresh clean look. Keep decorations to a minimum and try to color coordinate as much as possible. Make sure faucets, toilets and light fixtures function properly.
If updating your bathroom wall and/or floor tile is not within your budget, make sure you at least repair/replace areas where the tile is cracked and/or missing. Re-caulk if need be. If the grout has surface mold, be sure to remove it with an appropriate cleaner, or mix your own in a spray bottle with one part water and one part bleach.
A fresh coat of paint on the ceiling and walls is never a bad thing and will give the bathroom a fresh clean look. Keep decorations to a minimum and try to color coordinate as much as possible. Make sure faucets, toilets and light fixtures function properly.
Actual Action Carpet customer's bathroom.
| Bedrooms If you are not going to replace your carpet, hiring a professional to re-stretch any carpet that may be buckling is imperative. Action Carpet & Floor Covering can provide this service for you along with professional carpet cleaning to get out the embedded dirt and stubborn stains and odors. As with all rooms, a fresh coat of neutral color paint will never steer you wrong. Remove any unnecessary items and furniture from the bedrooms and keep decorations to a minimum. Less is more when selling a house -- it gives rooms a more spacious feel. Clean out closets because potential buyers will look in them. |
Actual Action Carpet customer's dining room. Living Rooms, Family Rooms and Dining Rooms
As with the bedrooms, living spaces should reveal clean floors and furniture, and freshly painted ceilings and walls. I know it's hard but, pare down as many personal items as you can which includes framed photographs. Keep the knick-knacks to a bare minimum, if at all, and keep all the colors coordinated and subtle.
Create a nice flow in your rooms by removing any obstructions from walking areas. (i.e. chairs that stick out too much, or ottomans, foot stools and small tables that occupy valuable space.)
As with the bedrooms, living spaces should reveal clean floors and furniture, and freshly painted ceilings and walls. I know it's hard but, pare down as many personal items as you can which includes framed photographs. Keep the knick-knacks to a bare minimum, if at all, and keep all the colors coordinated and subtle.
Create a nice flow in your rooms by removing any obstructions from walking areas. (i.e. chairs that stick out too much, or ottomans, foot stools and small tables that occupy valuable space.)
| Pets Last, but not least, remove pet items. I know, I know, we all love our pets -- they're part of our family -- but they're a part of our family that might be a turn-off to a potential buyer. Sorry but, it's true. Remove litter boxes, pet toys and beds and, by all means, make sure you remove any and all pet odors. A pleasant-smelling house is a pleasant-SELLING house! |  My dog, Spencer! |
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