Real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran knows exactly what you need to do if you want to sell your home quickly. In past interviews, the “Shark Tank” businesswoman has stressed that potential buyers judge homes they walk into within 30 seconds.
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It’s those 30 seconds that can make or break their decision as to whether they plan to make an offer — and sellers can’t afford to make a poor first impression. According to Corcoran, sellers need to invest in the following three areas to grab the attention of a buyer and sell their homes fast.
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Home Exterior
When a buyer comes to tour a home for sale, the first thing they’ll notice is its front. This includes, but is not limited to, the front entrance, front door, shrubs and lawn and the sidewalk and driveway.
To make a solid first impression, Corcoran recommends tidying everything up and hitting refresh where it’s needed. If your front door needs a new coat of paint, repaint it. Mow the lawn, trim the bushes and tend to any flowers. Corcoran also said sellers should power wash their sidewalk and the driveway.
Josh Stech, co-founder and CEO of Sundae, agreed with Corcoran’s suggestions. He recommends conducting simple landscaping improvements, like trimming and cleaning up yards. Upgrades like paint and new garage doors or window improvements are great investment decisions for grabbing a buyer’s attention.
“Generally speaking, anything that directly impacts the aesthetic appearance or curb appeal of a home is likely to provide a good return,” said Stech. “Homebuyers remember the most glaring areas of the home, especially the front exterior, from the moment they pull up to the house.”
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Living Room
The next space Corcoran said sellers need to invest in is the living room. According to Corcoran, the entire size of the house is judged by potential buyers based on the living room.
She’s right. Key findings from Opendoor’s 2024 Home Decor Report indicate that if sellers want to entice buyers to make an offer on their home, they should be paying attention to the floor plan in a living area. Ideally, the right layout creates a natural flow between spaces.
What if you’re on a budget and can’t necessarily spend thousands on a remodel? Corcoran recommends making subtle changes, such as adding fresh slipcovers to furniture and buying a bigger rug.
“Buyers will judge the size of a room based on the size of the rug,” she said.
You can also update the lighting in the living room, recommended by both Corcoran and Stech.
“Good lighting makes a home feel less dated and helps show it better,” said Stech, adding that updates to lighting fixtures can be made for a low price relative to the total home value.
Kitchen
Often described as the heart of the home, all eyes will be on the kitchen. Here, Corcoran said you’ll need to make key improvements like resurfacing cabinets and repainting the walls.
To further entice buyers, Opendoor’s report recommends investing in surface treatments, like handmade-looking tiles, mixed metals and warm woods, that will be visually interesting to buyers.
The one kitchen upgrade sellers must invest in no matter what? A new refrigerator.
According to Corcoran, the first thing a prospective buyer does when they walk into the kitchen is open the refrigerator. When they see a new, state of the art refrigerator, Corcoran said they assume the kitchen is in better order because of it.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Barbara Corcoran: Investing in These 3 Areas Will Help Sell Your Home Fast
