Selling Your Home: Don’t forget the basement!

Thinking about selling your home?  Consider this: finished or not, basements can add valuable space to any property.  That’s why it has always confused me when I go into homes that are on the market, and find basements that are anything but open house ready. With this in mind I thought I’d put together a list with a few tips to help you get your basement looking its buyer-ready best!  Here they are – if you’d like any more insight please feel free to contact me directly.

Selling Your Home: 5 tips to get your basement ready for the market

  1. De-clutter and organize.  Most people use their basements for storage.  By de-cluttering and organizing yours, not only will you make it look more spacious, you’ll show its value to buyers.  Think of it as showcasing the basement as a great place to store and organize sporting equipment, holiday decorations and even patio furniture.
  2. Clean.  This is pretty straight forward; wash the floors, vacuum the carpets, dust the baseboards and furniture, clean the gym equipment, appliances and anything else in sight!  By doing so, you’ll remove the ‘ick’ factor and impress upon potential buyers’ the image of a well-maintained home from top to bottom.
  3. Lighten and brighten.  Open up any window coverings, clean the windows and trim any landscaping that’s blocking natural light from getting into your basement.  Make sure to have bright bulbs in the fixtures (don’t go past any safety recommendations!) and replace any bulbs that aren’t working.
  4. Paint.  A fresh coat of neutral-coloured paint on unfinished basement floors and on drywall will help to make your basement look cleaner, brighter and much more inviting.
  5. Set the stage. Demonstrate your basement’s potential. If your kids’ toys are just scattered across the basement, set them up in a designated play area.  If you are currently storing extra furniture neatly in the basement corner, consider setting it up as if it were a finished room.

 

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