Prepping Your East Bay Home to Sell

Investing some effort and time into your property upfront is crucial if you want to put up your East Bay home for sale and achieve the highest offers. The East Bay is a highly sought-after region for home buyers, and while preparing your East Bay home for success on the market can be an expensive and time-consuming process, it’s well worth the effort. Here are some of the top ways to prep your home.

Even normal wear and tear to your home can add up, particularly if you have lived on your property for many years. While it’s easy to ignore the small problems, like toilets that run or windows that stick, potential buyers will notice these issues right away, and these problems can reduce your home’s value. Also, if your property has too many of these minor issues, potential buyers might wonder if your home has more serious problems in store.

That’s why it’s crucial to go through each room and make a note of any repairs that need to be made. Look for any chips or cracks in the floors and dents or holes in the walls. Make sure all of your kitchen appliances are working as expected. Check the drawers and cabinets to ensure they open and close smoothly. You should ensure that all of the drains, fixtures, and faucets in the kitchen and bathroom are operational and leak-free. Check for any signs of water damage, and ensure that the tubs and showers don’t have any broken tiles.

It’s a great idea to hire a professional inspector to thoroughly evaluate your home, inside and out. They will check to ensure that your home’s ventilation, heating, and air conditioning system, circuit breakers, electrical panel, smoke detectors, and water heater are all working correctly. They will examine the windows, eaves, weather-stripping, and exterior features, as well as any patios or decks. You’ll also want to make sure that the fencing is free from any rust, rot, or other damage. When the inspection is complete, you’ll receive an inspection report detailing any areas of concern. That way, you can get ahead of any repair needs before your home debuts on the East Bay real estate market.

Luxurious bathrooms, modern kitchens, and spacious storage areas are typically excellent selling points for your property, so it’s important to make your home look as clean and spacious as possible. That’s why professional home stagers suggest that you remove at least half of your belongings. Go through your property and declutter and organize each room. Don’t simply shove all of your things into the basement, attic, cabinets, and closets, though — home buyers will take a peek inside these spaces, too. Instead, use storage bins, cubbies, or baskets under beds and inside cabinets to make everything look clean and organized. It might be helpful to rent a storage unit to keep your belongings in a separate space entirely.

Keep in mind that decluttering also applies to your furniture. The scale of the furniture pieces should match the size of your space, and potential buyers should be able to walk around the rooms easily without bumping into anything. You should also ensure that your furniture doesn’t block any windows, doors, or architectural features.

It’s also important to depersonalize your home so that buyers can see its full potential. You want buyers to imagine themselves living there, surrounded by their own belongings rather than yours. Remove your hobby supplies, diplomas, religious symbols, sports memorabilia, souvenirs, and family photos. You certainly don’t want potential buyers to feel like they’re intruding when they tour your home. Consider updating your furniture or accessories if your decor is too avant-garde or outdated.

If you want to make your property feel brand new, a fresh coat of paint is one of the best ways to do just that. Freshening up the paint can help smaller rooms feel more open and highlight important architectural details like trim or crown molding. Pay attention to your choice of color. Interior experts suggest painting your home with warm neutral colors, like gray, gold, tan, beige, or greige, which is a mix of beige and gray. These warm neutral shades go with nearly anything, so it’s easier for potential buyers to imagine their own decor within the property.

If you don’t have enough time to paint your whole home, it helps to at least paint the foyer, entryway, bathrooms, and kitchen. If you have already painted your home within the past few years, you can likely just touch up stains and scuff marks on your baseboards and walls. If you are painting the space on your own, prep the rooms by repairing holes or damage, cleaning the dirt and dust from the walls, covering all floors and furniture with a drop cloth, and applying painter’s tape to the trim. Keep in mind that the painting process can be time-consuming.

Staging your home is an opportunity to make an outstanding first impression. Focus on rooms that will impress your potential buyers the most, like the bathrooms, the kitchen, the primary bedroom suite, and the living room. For instance, in the kitchen, you can set the table with gorgeous dinnerware and linens or set out a fresh bowl of fruit on the countertop. In the living room, you can add a beautiful vase of flowers to the side table or hang a decorative blanket over the arm of the sofa. Create just one focal point in every room of your home to highlight the architectural details, like the visually appealing windows or the fireplace.

Are you planning on selling your home in the East Bay? Reach out to trusted East Bay real estate agent Patty Hyun for the guidance you can count on. Patty is well-versed in the San Francisco Bay Area, and she is ready to help you sell for top-dollar offers.