Does your client’s home need a little TLC before you put it on the market? There are tons of DIY projects they could undertake to help the home sell easier and faster. Help them save money on updates and repairs with some how-to’s and inspo from YouTube and Pinterest (search for your own favorites) and these tips from Offerpad’s own expert renovations crew.
Don’t be neutral toward neutrals
Get rolling with some fresh paint. Changing the color palette of a home is one of the easiest ways to appeal to more potential buyers. Painting over faded or bold colors with soft, warm neutral shades (there’s more than gray and beige 😉) will give it a natural, updated feel.
Bonus tip: Don’t paint the walls and ceiling the same color – especially in small homes and rooms – to avoid spaces feeling boxed in.
Not-hard-to-fix hardware and fixtures
Kitchen (and bathroom) hardware seems like a small detail, but it can have a big impact on buyers. Switching out the handles and knobs on cabinets are super simple DIY fixes that can drastically update the look of a room without much work or expense.
Repair here and there
Homeowners are probably used to overlooking minor repairs that never made the honey-do list but trust us – potential buyers won’t. This could be something as simple as replacing lightbulbs (out with incandescent, in with LED 💡) to updating old light fixtures.
Here are some other DIY fixes and repairs that are fairly easy to make. Be sure to repair potential security or safety issues like uneven flooring, loose carpets and railings, and broken screens and windows. Check for clogged drains, leaks under sinks and cracks in old caulking. Tighten or replace loose, broken hinges so cabinet and other doors open and close smoothly and closet doors are still on track.
It’s not only what’s on the inside that counts
You’ve heard the expression you can’t judge a book by its cover? Well, a lot of drive-by buyers do just that. If your home’s curb appeal is less than appealing and they don’t like how the outside looks, they won’t want to see inside.
Keep grass trimmed and free of weeds. Tidy up the yard and take down those lights from last Christmas. Prune overgrown bushes and trees so the landscaping adds to, not distracts, from the home.
Cleaning the deck, porch and outdoor furniture makes a big difference. Draw eyes to the front door with some welcoming potted plants or flowers along the walkway or on the doorsteps and porch.
Help for those with 2 left thumbs
Getting a client’s home ready to sell and put on the market can take a lot of work. Doing things themselves can save some money but be sure they factor in the time it takes, too. Mistakes made trying to DIY or paying someone else to fix things up can quickly add to the cost of selling their home.
Speaking of costs, here’s a little fun fact. We did a poll last year and found that more than half (53%) of the sellers we surveyed* spent more time preparing their home for sale than they wanted or expected to, and 75% said they spent more money than expected. Nearly half (48%) spent $2,500-$7,500 while 25% spent more than $5,000 on repairs, renovation, cleaning, etc.
Want to really help your sellers sell faster? Get a free, no-obligation cash offer on their home from Offerpad in 24 hours. No DIY fixes required! No showings or open houses either. We’ll even move them locally for free when we close.
We love working with agents. Save yourself the time it takes to list your client’s home and earn a 3% referral fee**, too.
*Online survey of 2,000 Americans who have sold a house commissioned in May 2022 by Offerpad and conducted by market research company OnePoll.
**Referral Fee Qualifications: (1) The property cannot be listed on the MLS within 30 days from the time of submission, while under contract, or after COE; (2) The agent or current homeowner has not submitted a request to Offerpad on the property within the last 30 days; (3) The agent must present current interior and exterior pictures at the time of offer submittal (previous listing photos do not qualify); and (4) The agent must be identified in the offer request, continue to represent the seller, be available throughout the process, and the sale must successfully close. Agents with current sellers listed on the MLS may still request an offer, however they will not be eligible for a referral fee.