6 Tips to Prep Your Home for the Spring Homebuying Season | Real Estate

Spring is one of the best times to sell your home. Homebuyers are coming out of winter hibernation with more room in their schedules since the holidays are over. They’re also watching the calendar, hoping to get into new homes before the next school year. You can still take advantage of the busy spring market, but enticing prospective buyers to put down an offer will take some work.

Kurt Carlton, president and co-founder of real estate investment marketplace New Western in Dallas, says sellers can expect more competition this spring. They still need to prepare their homes ahead of listing so the sale is more likely to close without lengthy negotiations.

“It may seem like spring will be a seller’s market but buyers have a budget and will be looking to negotiate,” Carlton says. “Even minor repairs can be deal-breakers, so sellers should address maintenance issues ahead of time to avoid giving buyers a reason to walk away or ask for a price reduction.”

Preparing your home for sale can also help attract more buyers and potentially hike its sales price. “Properly preparing your house for the market can increase your audience and showings and will also increase your sales price by as much as 20%, depending on the improvements,” says Greg Forest, senior global real estate advisor at Sotheby’s International Realty in Palm Beach, Florida.

When preparing your home for the spring homebuying season, here are some tips experts say can potentially help you sell your home faster and for top dollar:

Your home’s exterior, landscaping and overall condition and appearance all contribute to its curb appeal. First impressions are everything in real estate and can have a major impact when you list your home for sale.

“The most straightforward and affordable way for sellers to boost curb appeal for spring is to power wash siding and sidewalks and keep the lawn mowed, edged and trimmed,” Carlton says. “A fresh paint job to the entire exterior of a home can get expensive, but clean gutters and a fresh-looking yard will go a long way.”

The entryway is another area that often needs attention. Pantea Bionki, owner and lead designer of Bionki Interiors based in Chino Hills, California, recommends adding vibrant flowers and greenery in pots around the front entrance. If you have a front porch, Bionki says adding cozy seating areas and rugs can create a more welcoming atmosphere.

Before making any repairs or renovations, consider whether they’ll add value, provide a good return on investment or help attract prospective buyers. Remodeling kitchens and bathrooms may seem like a good option, but Carlton encourages sellers to determine whether they’ll actually get a return on investment. He says homeowners should focus on functionality and curb appeal. “Repair anything that is obviously and visibly not functioning as it should before showing it to buyers,” he says.

A big mistake sellers tend to make is attempting to match the latest design trends or renovating according to their own personal taste, says Andrea Saturno-Sanjana, a broker at Coldwell Banker Warburg in New York City. “Renovations that are too specific often do not appeal to the widest range of buyers,” she says.

Saturno-Sanjana says sellers should consider repairs and refreshing items that are immediately visible to the buyers, as well as what might catch the attention of the home inspector. “For example, it might be less costly to replace loose wall switches before listing rather than to leave them as is for a buyer’s home inspector to view them as red flags, which might signal other problems with the home,” Saturno-Sanjana says.

Sellers can make a big impact without paying a small fortune for renovations. “If sellers want a buyer to feel like their home is move-in ready, a fresh coat of paint on interior walls and exterior doors and windows is a high-impact option without construction,” Carlton says.

If you don’t want to spend a lot of time and money fixing up your home, put what you can in the entry foyer, says Sheila Trichter, a broker at Coldwell Banker Warburg. “A fresh coat of paint won’t cost a lot in what is typically a small space,” she says. “Bright overhead lighting, a fabulous print or some other striking art will all set the mood. You want the prospective buyer to be smiling.”

Your home may reflect your life, but you want new people to visualize it as their home. That means removing all the family photos, trophies and any political or religious decor items. Strive for a clean slate.

You’ll also want to declutter. That can be everything from magazines on a side table to the kids’ boots in the hall to your blender on the kitchen counter. The home needs to look sleek and minimalist. Put everything you can away, but don’t overfill closets because prospective buyers will look there, too.

Forest recommends using neutral colors and removing excess furniture to make the space feel more inviting. This will help buyers envision themselves in the space.

Do a thorough spring cleaning, inside and out. You’ll want to clean out closets, wash all the windows and have the carpets cleaned. Go room by room, but pay attention to the kitchen, bathrooms and outdoor spaces. “These spaces are where people spend their most time, so if they are unappealing it can be a turnoff to a potential buyer,” Forest says.

Staging doesn’t necessarily raise the value of your home, but it could entice prospective buyers to make a higher offer and increase the likelihood it will sell quickly. According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2023 Profile of Home Staging, 20% of sellers’ agents said staging a home increased the dollar value offered by homebuyers between 1% and 5% compared with similar homes on the market that were not staged.

However, try not to stage a home for a specific season. “Doing so risks letting the buyers know that the home has been on the market for an extended period,” Bionki warns. “While this information is available online, it is best to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to it. So, I discourage the use of seasonal pillows or decorations to maintain a timeless appeal.”