The Top 6 Most Important Tips When Selling an Older Home

Although a housing boom in the past several years made it easy to sell homes, that’s no longer the case today. The housing market is slowing down. You may not have the same success when you try to sell today.

This is a bigger problem for older homes. People don’t want to buy problems, so you must prove your home is in excellent condition.

There are some important things to consider if you have an older home and want to sell. Use the tips below to make home improvements that will help you sell your home in today’s real estate market.

1. Tackle Problems

One of the things that hold up sales of old homes is home issues. This includes plumbing issues, bad paint, flooring issues, and other issues. Many buyers will get a home inspection to look for these things and ask you to fix them before signing off on a deal.

You can speed up the process and attract more buyers by fixing these problems. Get a home inspection yourself before you put your home on the market. Home inspections will show you what the problems are and allow you to get ahead of these requests.

It may require more money upfront but it will also improve your home’s value and attract more potential buyers.

2. Highlight Unique Features

One thing people don’t like as much about modern homes is how similar they all look. If you ride through modern subdivisions, you’ll see that most homes look the same.

The same wasn’t true with older homes — especially the ones in larger cities. There was unique architecture that helped individual homes stand out.

You can increase your home’s value in the eyes of potential buyers by highlighting these features. Consider what makes your home great and highlight those things in your listing and tours.

3. Update the Decor

Although many unique architectural elements help a home stand out, some of the decors don’t age as well. Many old home design choices don’t stand up well today and will turn off many homebuyers.

It makes sense to update these features. Walk through your home to find the outdated parts and make a list. If it doesn’t cost too much to replace, go ahead and update what you see.

Here are a few common home features to think about updating:

  • Paint
  • Light bulbs
  • Light fixtures
  • Carpet
  • Window fixtures

It’s also smart to check online to see what others do with old homes. You can find a few affordable ideas and use them to make different parts of your home shine that would otherwise detract from your home’s value.

4. Upgrade the Yard

Making a great first impression is one of the most important parts of selling an older home. Yes, you can impress people on the internet with your listing photos. But photos don’t always do a home justice.

Many people cement their opinions the moment they arrive at a home. They look at the home in front of them and see themselves as homeowners.

That impression starts with the front yard. If your yard is in disarray, it gives the wrong impression. If you don’t care for your yard, what does that say about the rest of the home?

Make sure you manage your yard before doing an open house. Cut the grass and trim any vegetation that needs to be trimmed. If you want to add more appeal, consider planting a few flower beds to add more color.

5. De-Personalize a Home

A lot of older homes have a lot of character. However, the things that make them unique may not be enjoyable for everyone. This can limit your buyer options and make your home harder to sell.

However, there are things you can do to minimize this problem. You can start by de-personalizing your home.

People who see a unique home with vibrant colors and their own touch have difficulty seeing themselves as a home’s owner. You may have unique tastes, so others may be unable to align with your current home setup.

De-personalizing your home and making it more neutral alleviates that problem. Use neutral colors, remove photos, and stage rooms. These things will help make your home appeal to more people and increase buyer interest.

6. Sell for Cash

Although there is a lot you can do to improve your home for little cost, that won’t always be the case. Some old homes need a ton of work. This can cost a lot of money that you don’t have.

In cases like this, listing your home for sale by owner and taking cash offers may be a better option. In this situation, you’re selling your home as-is. This means you won’t make any improvements and will rely on the buyer for repairs.

You can sell a house fast going this route. There are many companies that look for homes like this. They buy properties at a discount, invest money in renovations, and sell for a profit.

Investigate cash buyers in your area to see if this is an option for you.

Selling an Older Home Takes Work

It’s hard enough to sell a new home. You have to do countless things to make a home more appealing, and many of those things cost money. It’s even harder when your home is older and requires more work to make it look appealing.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do to make selling an older home easier. Now that you’ve read the home-selling advice above, start working on home improvement projects that will turn your home into one everyone wants.

Do you plan to tackle some of these home improvement projects yourself? Check out the blog if you want to read more guides that will help you through the process.

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