If you are putting your house on the market to sell, there is a lot of work involved to get it ready.  Deep cleaning, decluttering, repairs, and staging all take time and effort to get the job done right.  You may feel overwhelmed at the idea of finding the time and energy to devote to your home, especially if your day is already filled with a busy schedule of work and parenting.  Thankfully, if you’re willing to pay for the services, most everything that needs to be done can be outsourced.  Let’s go over the different options you have to hire a professional versus tackling it by yourself.

Declutter and Deep Clean

One of the first things to do when preparing your home for the market is to declutter and deep clean every nook and cranny. Decluttering is one of the few steps in this process that you probably really need to do yourself.  No one is going to be able to sort through your belongings to determine what needs to stay and can be tossed.  This won’t take you too long, especially if you include the whole family in the process.  After getting rid of your extra clutter, the next step is to deep clean your entire house.  This is not your normal daily dusting and wiping. Every area from light fixtures to inside cabinets to baseboards needs to be thoroughly cleaned.  You may want to hire a professional cleaning company for this part.  Most agencies are reasonably priced and can get your home spick-and-span in a matter of hours, saving you time and exhaustion.

After the big job of deep cleaning is complete, you should also implement a strategy to keep your house looking clean. Designate a few chores for each family member to tackle every day, and have a plan for those last-minute showings, like taking out the trash, wiping down the kitchen and closing toilet bowl lids and closet doors.

Repairs and Touch Ups

Once your house is clean and organized, you need to look at your home carefully from an outsider’s perspective.  According to Pacific Standard, it’s common to not notice things right in front of you when you are used to seeing them every day.  You will be surprised to notice dings in the wall or paint chips on the baseboard when you’re actually looking for them.  It’s important to repair any damage and to touch up the paint anywhere that needs it.  If you are handy, this could be an easy and quick task to check off your list.  If you don’t even own a screwdriver, much less have paint and spackle laying around, then this may be another area you outsource.  Ask friends for personal references or search reviews online to help find a reputable handyman, and be sure to get different quotes to avoid being ripped off.

Staging for Success

One of the most important details in getting your home ready is to properly stage it.  According to Forbes, homes will sell faster and for more money when they are well staged.  Staging your home involves setting up your furniture and décor to show off your home’s best features and to neutrally appeal to everyone who walks through your home.  Unless you are an interior decorator by trade, this is a great moment to bring in a professional and it could be worth the expense. Regardless of the direction a professional thinks your décor needs to go, they will certainly ask you to remove all of your personal items and photos.  You want potential buyers to walk into your home and imagine themselves already living there.

Whether you’ve chosen to hire people to help you or you’ve ended up tackling it all yourself, your home is now clean, tidy, and showroom ready.  Hopefully with all the hard work you have put in, your house won’t be on the market for long!

Photo Credit: pexels.com

The post Saving Time and Energy While Getting a House Ready to Sell: Outsource vs DIY appeared first on The COLLINS TEAM.

Realtors often advise their clients to avoid making major home renovations and instead concentrate their efforts on small, affordable, cosmetic upgrades that make a positive initial impression on buyers. It’s considered a better use of one’s money because a costly structural improvement may not earn the anticipated return on investment (ROI).

According to a recent survey conducted by a national brokerage consulting company, there’s another way to make impactful improvements without risking coming up short when your home sells. Forty percent of realtors polled said they find that houses featuring smart technology sell at a faster pace and are particularly effective at helping sellers earn their asking price. Consider these smart-home features if you’re looking for improvements that entice buyers.

Smart hub

A smart hub is the nerve center of the home, controlling lights, locks, appliances, thermostats and more. It’s just the kind of improvement designed to attract young homebuyers. And at 36 percent, millennials comprise the largest group of homebuyers, according to the National Association of Realtors. As a generation accustomed to living with technology, millennials find such technological conveniences and efficiency to be quite appealing and preferable to homes that lack such technology. And if you’re on the fence about adding smart tech to your home, consider this: According to HomeAdvisor, smart homes tend to sell for 5 percent more than homes that don’t incorporate any technology.

Electrician

If you choose to incorporate automation technology, seek an electrician who has experience working with smart home automation features. Some lesser aspects of installation can be done DIY (i.e. LED light bulbs), but when it comes to networking an entire system, it’s best to leave it to the professionals, who can handle it efficiently and affordably.

Smart appliances

Smart appliances increase average ROI by more than 10 percent over homes with standard appliances and yield major energy savings. A smart refrigerator, for example, maintains precise temperatures in both the refrigerator and freezer components, while touchscreen controls operate water and ice dispensers (many are also compatible with Amazon Alexa).

Shades

One of the great advantages of integrating smart technology into your home is that it can be done affordably, and one component at a time. Homeowners can save considerably on energy costs with smart shades, which may be operated with Android and Apple devices. And at under $200, it’s an intelligent and cost-efficient addition to any home.

Lighting

Automated lighting is an increasingly popular feature among homeowners these days because they have a high rate of ROI. Buyers like smart lighting because it can save as much as 75 percent over standard lighting (thanks to smart LED bulbs), and because of the ease and convenience with which they can control lighting throughout the home. The energy savings and reduced utility costs are major selling points for prospective buyers.

Smart security

With smart locks, which can be controlled with Bluetooth or WiFi technology, there’s no need to worry about forgetting or losing your house key. It’s also a timesaving technology because locks can be programmed to unlock on arrival and can be programmed to admit specific individuals who need access, such as family members or maintenance workers, meaning no one needs to be home to let them in.

Smart home technology offers a happy medium between impactful home upgrades and simple improvements. Smart home features can significantly increase ROI and appeal to younger buyers who have come to expect the convenience and “cool factor” of technology in many aspects of daily life.

Image courtesy of Pixabay

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