So you’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time to sell your Winnipeg home. Congratulations on getting that first and all important step out of the way. But now you have another conundrum – your property is in disrepair and you don’t exactly have (or want to spend) the funds to return it to its former glory. Does this leave you jammed between a rock and a hard place? It may seem so, but not necessarily. Today, we are providing you with some tips to unloading your run down home without breaking the bank to do so.

5 Tips to Selling Your Winnipeg House IN DISRepair

1. Focus on Curb Appeal

First impressions are everything. And when it comes to selling a home, that is what we refer to as curb appeal. Thankfully, positive curb appeal can be attained with some low cost effort and good ol’ fashioned elbow grease.

Keep the lawn well watered and green, keep the grass cut, trim the hedges, rake the leaves, pull the weeds and everything in between (depending on the season). Scrub away oil stains from the driveway, hammer in loose fence posts, sweep the walkways and stairs, and climb up (safely) with a ladder and remove visible debris and moss from gutters, downspouts, and shingles. If you can paint the home exterior yourself, or can find a low priced painter (students, etc.), then do so. A freshly painted exterior will go along way to enhancing curb appeal. If this is not viable, then consider painting the exterior trim around windows and doorways, which will help make your home “pop” from the outside.

When done, step back, take a good look and see if there is anything else that you can do to tidy up the home-front, and repeat until there is nothing left to do.

2. Attend to the Interior Surface Stuff

With curb appeal doing its thing, you should now look to low (or no) cost ways to deal with the interior. And when it comes to the interior, focus on the surface – the first things that catch the eye of potential buyers.

For starters, clean up the mess. A run down home looks a lot worse to prospects when there are toys on the floor, clothes draped over chairs, dishes on the counter, and packed-up cardboard boxes in living areas. The kitchen and bathroom should be spotless, and can be accented with scented candles to convey a sense of serenity even amidst chaos.

In addition, keep the floors and walls clean. Clean and scrub them to remove marks and streaks. If you have carpeted floors, consider spending a little for a DIY carpet-cleaning rental. If there are visible holes in the walls and you don’t have a knack for drywall, cover them up with attractive portraits and other wallhanging decor (just not “Dogs Playing Poker”). And like with the home exterior, give the walls and/or trim a fresh coat of paint if you can.

Lastly, walk around the home with a wrench and screwdriver and tighten up every screw and hinge possible, making sure that doors, cabinets, and other permanent fixtures work as best they can.

3. Declutter

Clutter also makes a run down home look worse. We’re not talking about the stuff that you really need, and can be neatly tucked into closets and drawers. That’s all part of the cleaning process addressed above. Instead, we’re referring to the possessions you may have accumulated over the years, the things that you don’t need, but take up space and ruin the aesthetic of your property. Given that you’re hoping to sell your home, it’s a good time to take stock of your possessions, and get rid of the non-essentials and non-sentimentals. Give some things to a local charity and sell the rest via a yard sale or through Craigslist/Kijiji. Funds accrued from the latter can go into a paint job or other aesthetic fixes that can help you sell the property. In the end, a home with fewer possessions looks less cluttered and more appealing to prospective buyers.

4. Be Honest in Promotion

Whether putting your home up for sale in the local classifieds or using the services of an agent, ensure that the marketing message is an honest one. If you talk up a run down home and prospective buyers arrive to find something other than they imagined they will immediately turn and run the other way. But by being straightforward in the initial details, they will walk in with some idea of what to expect. The promotional message should use expressions such as “fixer-upper” or “great project for a handyman (or handy-person)” and so forth. When they hear those words, they also hear “investment opportunity” and that can help you unload your run down home fast.

5. Take the Easy Way – Sell Your Run Down Home to Us

While all of the above can help you sell your run down home, it still requires some budget, and lots of effort. You may not be able or willing to apply either. The reason why does not matter. All you need to know is that you can sell your Winnipeg house in any condition, this week, by securing the services of 5 Day Cash Offer. We don’t pass judgement, nor do we ask unnecessary questions. We’re simply here to make life, and the process of selling the home, easier for you. Learn more about how the cash-for-houses process works, or simply contact us today to begin the process and avoid steps #1-4, entirely.

We look forward to helping you.