CLEVELAND — The real estate market can change at the drop of a hat, so, if you’re selling you should know exactly what buyers want.
Sometimes, there’s just not enough time and money to renovate your home, but there are some affordable ways to compete with the newly renovated homes on the market.
Darren and Kate Mancuso own Relief Properties. They have been buying, building, flipping and selling homes for years in Northeast Ohio.
Kate leads the design of most of their homes they have on the market.
She said, when you’re selling, first impressions are key.
“People make their decision whether they want to buy a house in a matter of minutes,” said Mancuso.
While the couple could be considered experts in complete demolitions of homes, they said there are a few things people can do to help you sell your home without ever picking up a power tool.
First, clear your clutter. If you have messy countertops, clean them off. You should get rid of a ton of personal items, like excessive picture frames, because people want to picture themselves in the home.
“You don’t want them to feel like they’re intruding into someone else’s home,” she said.
Another key point in a house that buyers are looking for, is extra storage. Mancuso said, if you haven’t already, it’s time to clear out the closets.
“Taking out a shirt that you haven’t worn in three years and either donating that or putting it in storage,” she said. “Make it look bigger than it is.”
Fix up little odds and ends around the house.
“The buyers in today’s market just want to move right in. They don’t want to do practically anything,” said Darren.
You should update faucets, light fixtures, paint a fresh, neutral color on the walls. Professionals insist, it will make a big difference.
“Anything like that, that you’ve just kind of overlooked for years, someone else is going to notice right away,” said Kate.
The outside of your home, is just as important as the in.
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Darren said to make sure your landscape looks manicured, even something as simple as laying down new mulch will help you sell.
They said it’s the little things that can cause you to lose big in the end.
“The goal is to have someone walk into your home and say ‘This is it, we are done with our long exhaustive search,’” said Kate.
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