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The Secret to Preparing Your Home for a Fast Sale - Tom Len Custom Homes

The Secret to Preparing Your Home for a Fast Sale

Are you planning to sell your home within the next year? Wondering what you can do to prepare your home for a fast sale? Maybe you’re selling your home while creating your beautiful, new custom home. Or the kids are grown and you’re finally ready to move out of state. Whatever your motivation may be, there are a few things to consider and prepare before putting your home on the market and hoping for the best…

Many homeowners have been waiting for the best time to sell. The real estate market in 2022 has been very profitable for sellers; meaning there’s a low inventory on homes and less competition. There’s never been a better time to get an excellent return on investment! However, it’s important to keep in mind that with factors like interest rates and inflation on the rise, people are taking their sweet time in choosing the perfect home and not settling for aspects they don’t like.

“The average time it takes to sell a home in Illinois — from listing through closing — is approximately 79 days. That’s 44 days to get an offer, plus the typical 35-day closing period. Key factors that impact Illinois home sale timelines include local market conditions (e.g., buyer demand, job market, rising home values, etc.), time of year, and your property’s type and condition.” Clever

Did you know that homes that feature a “luxury kitchen” sell 8% faster than similar-sized homes in the same ZIP code? If you’d like a speedy sale and an abundant return on your investment, the TLCH team highly recommends making some key upgrades and replacements to your property. The Tom Len Custom Homes expert interior designers are here to guide you with the following design tips to make your home attractive to buyers and sell quickly!

The Secret to Preparing Your Home for a Fast Sale

Before teaming up with a real estate agent and listing your home, we strongly suggest doing everything you can to set yourself up for a successful sale! Has your home seen a lot of wear and tear over the years? Is the overall design dated? Or maybe you haven’t made any renovations for 6+ years? If you said yes to any of these questions, then giving your home some TLC is a must before listing!

When selling you home, first impressions are everything! Potential buyers are going to quickly decide if they like a home based on the listing pictures or digital walkthrough. If you get their attention, the next step is even higher stakes: an in-person showing where they’ll have a chance to see the finer details and try things out. Investing in smart renovations like upgrades to the kitchen, remodeling the bathrooms, and replacing accents will make a huge difference in catching the eye of prospects.

“If you want to sell a house quickly, you need to know about the top features buyers want to get ahead of the competition. While the housing market is generally moving at a quick pace right now, buyers are still discerning about the homes they will choose to make offers on. Even in an ultra-competitive market, a home needs to have the right appeal for that reputable coveted quick sale. ” Homes and Gardens

Partnering with a Professional Team for Stunning Home Renovations

Not sure which improvements to make or where to start? Renovating your home is a big undertaking that involves many details. When time is of the essence and the stakes are high, we advise against trying to make these changes yourself! Without qualified interior design and residential construction experts like TLCH leading the way, you may find your project timeline taking much longer than you had hoped…and not to mention all of the surprise obstacles that may be discovered or preventable mistakes made along the way.

But that’s what we’re here for! Partnering with an interior designer and home remodeling professional (like Tom Len Custom Homes) is your secret to success. We know exactly what buyers are looking for and how to help you get there. We’ll make sure buyers fall in love with your home from the inside out…

The Secret to Preparing Your Home for a Fast Sale - Tom Len Custom Homes
The Secret to Preparing Your Home for a Fast Sale - Tom Len Custom Homes

The Secret to Selling Your Home Quickly

As the North Shore’s premier homebuilder, you can trust that we have Chicago’s best interior designers on our team. That means we’re always up to date with home design trends and know exactly what today’s buyers are looking for. Wondering if you should tear down walls or build an addition? Some of the biggest selling points of today’s homes include: open floor plans, outdoor living, spacious kitchens, updated bathrooms, sustainable features, and efficient storage. Here are our top secrets for preparing your home for a quick sale:

Luxury Outdoor Experiences

It’s no secret that when our brutal Midwest winters come to an end, everyone wants to get outside to enjoy the sunshine! Homebuyers are placing high value on well-designed outdoor spaces. This may look like creating an outdoor living room, spacious patio with a fully-functional kitchen, or an inground pool with a swim up bar. When people visit your property, they want to imagine all of the fun moments they’ll share with loved ones. Let’s make it easy to picture late nights around the fire pit roasting smores and competitive volleyball games in the pool!

The best luxury backyards are designed with functionality, entertainment, and aesthetic in mind. A backyard can be used for more than lazy days by the pool. It can serve as the perfect environment for entertaining friends, celebrating special occasions, playing games with the kids, or finding peaceful solitude connecting with nature. Check out our “Beautiful Backyards” board on Pinterest for more inspiration.

Learn more about designing the ultimate backyard oasis!

Using Color to Your Advantage

Did you know that color enhances a room’s energy and can influence everyone’s mood? Whether you’re transforming a room with accents, furniture, paint, or decor, color matters. Let’s make sure to choose colors that make everyone who enters your home feel peaceful and happy. Colors can make rooms feel larger, safer, and even more inviting – when staging your home for sale, you should definitely use this tool to your advantage! In fact, many real estate agents recommend clients paint their homes certain colors to sell more quickly and even get a better price.

“The colors that sell houses fastest real estate agents agree is off-white. White is their second choice, but off-white adds that extra touch of warmth that buyers will find welcoming. Other safe shades include grey, blue, beige and yellow, but always go for the palest shade possible to boost light levels and enhance space.” Homes and Gardens

One way to get inspired is to take a look at the trending colors for 2022. For this year, the most popular colors all contain shades of either green or blue. Of course, you don’t have to follow what everyone else is doing, but choosing trendy colors can also help increase the value of your home. When you work with Tom Len Custom Homes, you can trust that our expert interior designers are always current with the latest trends and can help you color match for adding value to your home!

Learn about transforming your home with color!

The Secret to Preparing Your Home for a Fast Sale - Tom Len Custom Homes
The Secret to Preparing Your Home for a Fast Sale - Tom Len Custom Homes
Modern Kitchen Makeovers

Boasting a gorgeous kitchen is sure to win over prospects that may be on the fence. In fact, if they love the kitchen so much, they may even overlook other features that they don’t like. The kitchen is the heart of every home and very important to buyers. It’s where meals are made, dinners are shared, and many happy family memories take place. When was the last time you gave your kitchen some TLC? Are the counters dated, cabinets chipped, and tiles cracked? Let’s bring new life to this space so you can feel proud and confident during the walkthrough!

Did you know that more than 80% of prospective home buyers indicated a walk-in pantry in the kitchen is a must-have item in their new home? Along with a walk-in pantry, two other kitchen storage features make the list: pull-out shelves (73%) and special use storage (wine rack, etc.) (63%). Smart storage spaces, open-concept designs, stunning natural materials, and state-of-the-art tech appliances are the key ingredients to a beautiful, modern kitchen. And including ample counter space is a must…

Bring your culinary space up to speed with modern kitchen renovations!

Upgrades as Eye-Catching Accents

Adding well-planned unique design accents to your home is a great way to take small steps in refreshing the energy and bringing new life to a space. If it’s been 5+ years since the last time you made any changes to the interior design in your home, odds are your house is in need of a modern refresher! Do you have loose doorknobs, scuffed floors, or rusted sink hardware? All of these things can turn off buyers. Fortunately, they’re easy fixes…

We highly suggest upgrading heavily used features that have seen years of wear and tear. All of these seemingly small details will make all the difference. These upgrades could include smaller replacements like doorknobs, cabinet handles, window treatments, light switches, and other hardware throughout your home. Larger replacements may include replacing roofing and siding, door swaps, lighting fixtures and window installations. Our interior designers will work with you to carefully select replacements that serve as accents, an important piece of your home’s overall aesthetic.

Get inspiration for must-have unique accents on our blog!

The Secret to Preparing Your Home for a Fast Sale - Tom Len Custom Homes
The Secret to Preparing Your Home for a Fast Sale - Tom Len Custom Homes
Health and Wellness Amenities

Homeowners value wellness now more than ever before, and it’s important to have a space that reflects that to prospective buyers. Does your home support optimal wellbeing from the inside out? When searching for a new home, everyone has a “wish list” and a “must-have” list. Depending on their values and interests, the must-have list may be full of aspects that support the family’s overall wellbeing. This may include a home gym or space to practice yoga.

According to a Zillow home trends expert, the pandemic has been a driving force in wellness design’s popularity. “It’s no surprise that many wellness features were associated with homes selling faster than expected and for more money than expected in 2020. The remodeling industry in 2022 will be heavily influenced by consumer preferences in line with wellness-focused design.” Forbes

If you really want your home to stand out from the rest, we recommend adding some luxury wellness amenities. And let’s not forget about the increase in property value these updates will add! Some examples may include:

  • Arts & crafts room for creative minds to express themselves.
  • Meditation area for those who want a quiet, secluded space.
  • Personal fitness studio for active families to enjoy workouts.
  • Private spa with a sauna and steam room for optimal health.

Read our blog to learn more about mindful interior design tips for wellbeing!

Recently Renovated Bathrooms

It’s no secret that everyone needs a place to unwind and let go of the day’s stress. What is new is that Millennials and first-time homebuyers have made their intentions known: updated kitchens and baths are a must. In fact, 81% of respondents recognized updated bathrooms as the most important feature when considering whether or not to purchase a home. If your bathroom is missing tiles, lacks quality lighting, or the tub has seen better days, it’s definitely time to renovate.

Entice buyers to enjoy the good life with a spa-like bathroom experience in your home! For homeowners that value relaxation, this is definitely something that will win them over. Think shower heads that have 20 settings, heated floors for those cold mornings, ample lighting for applying makeup, a Bluetooth sound system for morning meditations while getting ready, and deep bathtubs great for bubbles and wine before bed. Take this space up a notch by adding a sauna and steam shower.

Check out our blog for more bathroom renovation ideas!

Luxurious Master Bathroom Must Haves
The Secret to Preparing Your Home for a Fast Sale - Tom Len Custom Homes

Clearly, there is a lot to consider when preparing your home for sale! The TLCH team is excited to partner with you on your home makeover. Even if you don’t require major renovations but would like modern decor tips for the staging, our interior designers are ready to help. We’ll make sure your home is in tip-top shape for selling in no time! Who knows, when the renovations are complete you may just decide you’d like to stay right where you are…

Regardless of what your exciting home project will entail, you can trust Tom Len Custom Homes! We have 20+ years of home build and interior design experience to guide you through the process of a luxury home remodel or a brand new custom home build.

Let’s work together to get your home ready for a successful sale!

Contact us today to begin planning beautiful renovations and increase your property value.

Check out our Houzz and Pinterest pages for more design inspiration.

 

Tom Len Custom Homes proudly serves the following areas in Chicago’s North Shore: Northfield, Glenview, Glencoe, Deerfield, Wilmette, Winnetka, Highland Park, and Riverwoods.
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