Real Estate Blog

For many years, home sellers in Washington, D.C. had a strong grip on the market. Now, it's beginning to slip.

Washington, D.C. real estate is moving in favor of homebuyers as mortgage interest rates fall and the number of homes on the market rise. This means that selling your home is becoming more and more competitive.

To make your property stand out of the crowd, you have to market it right. With the help of a great real estate agent, you'll be able to attract plenty of potential buyers to your home.

But, before you even put your home on the market, you'll want to make it as desirable as possible for buyers. Here's what to do before putting your D.C. home on the market:

Clean Up Your House

One of the first tips to sell your home in Washington, D.C. is to clean it up.

You'll want to tidy everything⁠—even the most unlikely spots, like the tops of kitchen cabinets and the leaves on indoor plants. If the surface has a coating of dust, make it sparkle!

Make sure to clear up any piles of papers and heaps of goods lying around the house. Your floors and countertops should be clear of any unnecessary objects.

Although this seems like a straightforward task, the difference a clean home will make for potential homebuyers is incredible.

Tidy Your Closets

On the topic of cleaning, you don't want to forget to tidy your closets.

Make sure all the belongings in your closets are neat and orderly. This means your towels are folded and your clothes are hung up.

A tip to sell your home in Washington, D.C. is to clear out half of the things in your closets. This makes the space look much larger than it is, which is attractive to homebuyers who value storage areas.

Even though you generally want to hide things in your storage spaces, when selling your home, you'll want to show them off!

If you're thinking of selling your home in the D.C. area and you'd like to know what it's worth, use our free home evaluation program to find out.

Manicure Your Lawn

The first thing potential homebuyers see when they view your home is the outside. So, make a good impression!

Just like the interior of your home, clean up the exterior. Mow your lawn and trim back any low-hanging branches.

An easy way to make your home more attractive to potential homebuyers is by planting flowers and new shrubbery that highlight the beauty of the home.

But, be sure not to have too much vegetation. When you have too many bushes and trees at the front of your home, it becomes hidden.

Another way to spruce up the exterior of your home is to shovel the walk in the winter time.

When you have manicured landscaping, it shows that your home has been cared for, which makes it more desirable to buyers.

Stage Your Home

To make your Washington, D.C. home as marketable as possible, rearrange your furniture to highlight the focal points and best qualities of the rooms.

Take out any oversized furniture that doesn't fit the space. When your pieces are too large, they make the space feel smaller than it actually is.

You want to take out any extra pieces of furniture that clutter the space, like large armoires and extra chairs. These shrink the size of the room as well.

Staging your home also entails making sure your furniture suits the style of the space. If you have rustic interiors, you probably don't want to have ultra modern furniture.

By staging your home, you make it desirable to the highest common denominator of homebuyers, which will make it sell quickly and for the best price possible.

Make Minor Repairs

Before putting your D.C. homes on the market, you probably don’t want to put a whole lot of money into it for renovations. But, you do want to make minor repairs.

Potential homebuyers will notice if you have a leaky faucet or a squeaky door hinge, so make sure everything is repaired before you put your home up for sale.

Another great tip is to repaint the walls. Over time, walls get marks on them. So, repainting them will make the space feel brand new.

These minor repairs will make a world of difference to potential homebuyers.

If you follow these tips to sell your home in Washington, D.C., you'll attract the perfect buyers to your home and sell it for top dollar.

Interested in selling your home in Washington, D.C.? Talk to one of our local agents who are always happy to help you!