NEWS

For many families, home buying is an emotional journey. With kids in tow and expectations high, the search for a new place to fit your family’s lifestyle is no easy feat. But the moment when you walk in the front door and start mentally hanging family photos on the walls and arranging your living room furniture, that’s when you know it’s the one.

If you’re getting ready to put your house on the market, the goal is to create an instant love connection for potential buyers.

Current home trends reveal that today’s home buyers have very particular tastes. Today, a house takes an average of only three weeks to sell. This means homebuyers know what they want and they’re acting quickly when they find it. If your house doesn’t meet the mark, it could end up sitting on the market for a long time.  

Getting your house ready to sell won’t happen in a weekend. And unless you’re installing new countertops, this isn’t the time for cutting corners. Luckily, you don’t have to break the bank to upgrade and refresh your house.

Let’s start with repairs. To get your house ready to sell, you should:

• Patch holes and cracks
• Upgrade broken appliances
• Fix drippy sinks
• Replace cracked windows
• Repair roof tiles and water damage
• Refresh old caulking around tubs and toilets

Increasing your home’s resale value is one thing, but knowing the next family will have a safe place to make their own is equally important. The great thing is that many small repairs like this can be done yourself.  

Decluttering is also an easy, but often overlooked way to refresh your home. Trust us, we think those bookends and centerpieces are just as cute as you do, but not everyone has the same style. So…

• Take everything off kitchen and bathroom counters  
• Remove frames from the walls
• Clean out closets
• Organize the garage
• Put away baskets of toys
• Take away small pieces of furniture

You know the drill. A cluttered home will appear messy and outdated. Decluttered homes are ideal for a professional home stager to design a neutral space that will appear to the masses.  

If you have a little money to spend, a fresh coat of paint in a neutral color will breathe new life into your house. Clean, neutral colors can even increase your sale price. A recent article revealed that homes painted in a color on the “greige” scale sell for $3,496 more than similar homes in brown or tan.   

Finally, don’t forget about curb appeal. What’s the first thing you did when you found your dream home online? You did a drive by, right? In fact, most homebuyers do this. Sixty-three percent to be exact. Simple curb appeal updates include:

• Get the lawn looking bright and lively with no brown patches
• Plant fresh flowers in the garden
• Trim back tall trees
• Sweep away any loose leaves from the driveway
• Remove any benches, pots or outdoor décor

Remember that love connection we talked about? First impressions are everything.

If you’re willing to go above and beyond, installing smart home features could seal the deal. Voice control is a big trend right now, and according to homes.com, lights, thermostats and appliances that can be controlled by voice are worthy investments. Smart home security systems are also attractive to young millennial families.

It is our sincere hope that you’ve found the one at Porchlight Homes. If you’re making the move to Eastpoint or Lazy Day Manor, we are over-the-moon excited for you to start loving our craft neighborhoods. With open living spaces and nearby parks, it’s the perfect place to make family memories that will last a lifetime.

For more information about our vibrant new home communities, reach out to us online or stop by for a quick tour.