Whether you are selling your home for the very first time or have sold multiple properties throughout your lifetime, your top priority is to get as much money as you can for your property.

While decluttering and home renovations can certainly help make your property more attractive to prospective buyers, it can only go so far. If you really want your sale to succeed you need to wow sellers, which requires implementing some creative strategies.

Let’s look at a few of the best home selling secrets that most owners don’t often think about, and, if done right, can fetch you more money at the closing table.

Level Up Your Curb Appeal

For decades the phrase “curb appeal” has been used in real estate to highlight the exterior marketability of homes. Most owners understand the significance a mowed lawn and manicured landscaping has on a property’s marketability.

But focusing on other small features can really kick things up a notch and make your property more attractive to new buyers. One consideration is to paint your front door a more attractive color.

Adding a splash of color can really leave buyers with a lasting impression and can get you more bang for your buck. For example, recent sales data suggests that homes with black front doors often sell for $6,000 more than expected.

Another sneaky way to add charm to your home is to upgrade or install a new mailbox. Old and leaning mailboxes impact a buyer’s first impression of your home. A new mailbox is an easy DIY project and can cost very little to install compared to other home projects.

Integrate Seamless Smart Features

Smart home technology has boomed over the last decade, so much so that roughly three in four potential home buyers are willing to pay more for a home with smart technology features.

Smart home technology is a great way to elevate the value of your property without spending a ton of money. These features also provide convenience to buyers looking for ways to integrate and manage home systems from their mobile device.

Installing smart locks, doorbells and security cameras are a breeze and are attractive to those that care about privacy and security. Younger buyers also appreciate smart thermostats because they can help buyers save on their future home energy costs. Lastly, consider upgrading ovens, washers, and dryers with new smart models that can connect to Wi-Fi and have extra bells and whistles that give your property a unique, modern touch.

Set the Stage for Bigger Offers

There is a right way and wrong way to stage a home. Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t know how to stage their home properly or understand why staging matters. The reality is that staged homes actually sell for 25% more, on average, than unstaged homes.

If done properly, staged homes can help cut down on required remodeling work, give buyers a better feel for your home’s functionality, and can increase the property’s overall value. While home staging can cost an average of $400 to complete, the upside more than justifies the means.

Rather than staging your home yourself, instead make sure to hire a realtor that can help advise you on how to properly stage your home to optimize its key features. Many sellers see upwards of 5-15% return on their investment by staging their home before having it listed.

Dive Deep Into Cleaning, Decluttering, and Depersonalization

It’s always a good idea to keep your house tidy and clean, but if you want to sell your home for more money, you need to take it a step further. Focus on not only cleaning common surfaces and high traffic areas, but also decluttering personalized knickknacks and d?cor.

Buyers want to fall in love with your home, not your personal effects. While leaving some strategically staged d?cor can help spark your buyer’s imagination, removing personalized elements can help make your home feel bigger and make your home feel newer.

A few secrets to cleaning and decluttering include washing your windows to help let in more natural light, painting key areas more neutral tones, and taking down excess furniture and photos.

Furthermore, cleaning and decluttering will give potential buyers more room to tour your home and give you a head start of moving preparations once your home does sell.

Key Takeaways

There are a lot of proactive ways to get more out of selling your home. However, diving deeper and taking advantage of these hidden home selling secrets can give you a leg up on the competition and maximize your net proceeds. If you’re interested in more home selling secrets, make sure to call Malka Abrahams and Adina Grossman to get the inside scoop on how to sell your home for more money!

Malka and Adina are realtors and longtime residents of Bergen County, with extensive knowledge of the area. Malka and Adina are committed to educating their clients and guiding them through both the buying and selling process. Malka and Adina are members of the National Association of Realtors, the Eastern Bergen County Board of Realtors and the New Jersey MLS. Contact Malka at (201) 739-9654 and [email protected], and Adina at [email protected].