7 Simple Fixes That Sell a House

By VanLines.com

So the big relocation is in the cards after all. Before you call the moving company you're going to need to sell your house. Usually this would not be at the top of the list, but considering the real estate market during the last couple for years, this is now one of the biggest hurdles to your upcoming long distance moving experience.

Here are 7 affordable tips that will help sell your house quickly:

Think Food Channel: Everyone wants to be a chef these days, whether they actually cook or not. Kitchen remodeling is an easy way to get on the buyers’ good side. Make sure all the appliances match, 30-inch range is minimum, stainless steel cabinet doors and great task lighting are all fantastic ways to brighten what is usually the focus of the house.

First impressions are key: Whether it is a house or an apartment, the look of the front door sets the tone for the rest of the house. Paint and when necessary replace beaten up doors. Buy a shiny new door knocker.

No hoarders allowed: All basements, attics, garbage drawers, closets, medicine cabinets and any other places where mounds of stuff collect must be cleaned out. You don’t think those prospective buyers will snoop and care? You’re wrong. They will look and they will judge and it might hurt your chances of selling the house.

Let the sun shine in: Know how the "After" pictures for skin products are always lighter than the “Before”? That’s because light makes things look clean and attractive. To pull the same trick in your house, hide the moving boxes, wash those windows, pull those curtains, replace or remove dingy lampshades and ceiling fixtures and put in high-wattage light bulbs everywhere.

Spackle baby, spackle: Now that the sun is shining in, you're going to see a bunch of stuff you didn’t before, like that hole in the wall from when you bumped it moving furniture and those expansion cracks, nail pops and other blemishes. A light fix will do. Spackle the holes and cracks, and stick down any drywall tape that's peeling with some spackle as well.

It’s in the details: A really easy way to spruce up a wall is to replace the light switch plate covers with shiny new ones. Nothing gets dirtier faster or is overlooked in cleaning more than switch plate covers. Clean, matching plates that coordinate with your walls will make your home look neat and put together.

Potty time: Next to the kitchen, a bathroom remodel  has the biggest chance for your house to achieve “wow” factor. If the tile is in good shape, you can improve the look of the room by replacing dingy grout. While you’re waiting for that new grout to dry, go ahead and install a stainless-steel “rain” showerhead with an oversize face. You’ll have those prospective buyers dreaming of their first shower in the new (and your old) home.