When you decide to sell the house, you’ll also need to make it look good. It’s like when you’re selling your car, you’ll wash it, in and out, you’ll maybe buff it a bit, you’ll fix any issues (at least all the major ones) that might be present, and then, and only then, will you put it up for sale. A house is not different than a car.
But you don’t need to spend a fortune to make your home market-ready, because small but smart updates are going to pay off. With these few well-placed fixes, you’ll make your home so much more sellable. Even if you’re trying to make a quick sale.
Le’ts take a look at what the things you can do to prep the house for listing.
1. Update Lighting in the Proper Places
Good lighting isn’t only about seeing, it’s about the way a room feels and setting a certain mood. Dull bulbs and old fixtures can make even sparkling clean rooms feel stale.
There’s no need to replace everything:
- Kitchen: Add warm, layered lighting with overheads and under-cabinet LEDs.
- Bathroom: Select bright, flattering lighting near the mirror.
- Living room: Use floor or table lamps to bring light to dark spots.
Smooth light changes modernize your house instantly, with a warm living space that looks great in photos and even better in real life.
2. Highlight the Entrance and Impressions
Curb appeal starts at the street, but the entrance is where customers have their first impression. Don’t forget or overlook this zone, it may cost you a lot.
Paind the front door in some modern, but ageless colors (e.g., navy, red, forest green, dark brow); you can’t go wrong with natural colors. You can also do the same with the garage door to match. If you want to modernize the house, then install some smart locks, automated doors, automated lights (ideally solar powered), sprinklers, … those kind of things.
Get some new house numbers, or at least repaint them (same color as the front door).
Even if the rest of the house, and the interior is in dire need of a refresh, it’s the first impression that’ll bring the potential buyer through the door. After that, it’s so much easier.
3. Targeted Kitchen Repairs Without the Full Overhaul
You don’t need to fully renovate your kitchen to make her shine. Opt for high-visibility, low-stress repairs that make the space look refreshed.
4 kitchen upgrades you should do before all else:
- Cabinet Hardware: Replacing knobs and handles gives a quick modern look.
- Faucet: A clean, functional faucet can be installed in an hour.
- Backsplash: Peel-and-stick backsplash tiles are affordable and stylish.
- Paint: If your cabinets are sound but out-of-date, refinish them white or navy blue and give them some serious mojo.
Most buyers aren’t concerned with having the finest appliances, only the way a kitchen looks. Highlight the visual differences that stand out in images and walks.
If your kitchen looks terrible, out of date, things like that, and only a major renovation will save it, sometimes it’s even best to leave it as is, knock a bit from the final price, and leave it to the new buyers to renovate the kitchen in a way that they want. They mght like different things, or a different design than you would, so keep that in mind.
Regardless, be sure to clean it.
4. Neutral Paint Throughout (and Why It Still Works)
Yes, it’s a classic move, but it’s classic for a good reason. A fresh coat of neutral tones, think soft whites, grays, and greige, are good choices, because it transforms a house immediately and simplifies it for buyers to be able to visualize themselves living there. It also eliminates distracting objects that they notice, which can reduce your number of buyers.
You can’t really go wrong with white. But that also feels a bit cold, so I’d choose warm, light tones with soft undertones instead.
Don’t forget repainting doorframes and baseboards.
5. Know When to Fix and When to Sell
Sometimes a house just needs too much. Leaking foundations, outdated wiring, roof leaks, and repairs like these don’t recoup, especially if you need to sell quickly.
Some owners experiment with other marketing methods in a hot housing market like Dallas rather than taking on extensive work. Since Dallas seems to be doing great at in the current market and there are a lot of cash buyers, let’s take that as an example.
First-time sellers who are researching how to sell their house in Dallas let’s say, will tend to attempt to avoid a huge amount of prep work because that’s what ‘the internet’ said. When I was wondering how to sell my house for cash in Dallas, Texas, my first thought was to hire a local agent or a business that would help me sell the property.
Yeah, the house might sell itself, fine, but what about everything else – all the paperwork and the legality, plus you don’t want to get scammed. And if you’re never done this, a lot of things could go wrong, right?
A local agent will know the market well and will also likely have some potential buyers lined up. They’ll know what makes people in that area bite. Also, the current housing market in Texas seems to prefer cash, and cash buyers will purchase homes in as-is condition, something that can be ideal if I’m looking to sell fast, regardless of the condition of the house.
But also, fast sales sometimes mean that you have to cut the price down slightly. An agent also comes with their sales skills, which could end up getting more money into your pockets (even after their commission).
This works well, especially for inherited properties, landlord swaps, or houses in desperate need of a major systems overhaul.
Conclusion
The right decision of wheter you want a fix-up/flip route or a fast cash sale depends on three things: condition of the house, your timeline, your goals. Once you’ve cleared those, determine whether you want to list via an agent or not.
My suggestion? If you’ve never done this, go with an agent; the whole process is far more complicated than people think, and any mistake could end up costing you dearly.
Regardless of how you go about it, a few repairs to the house here and there before you list the house, will make a massive difference for the price you’ll get, as well as how long (or short) it’ll stay on the market.