There are two ways to sell a home. You can sell it 'as-is' and hope for the best or you can give it a deep clean before listing it to maximize your return. While no one likes cleaning, the idea that it could net you thousands of extra dollars in your pocket is incredibly appealing. Your first step in preparing your home for market is to clean the floors. Your carpet covers so much visual space that potential buyers will notice how they look -- good or bad.
In fact, many potential buyers will expect to negotiate if your carpets need work. This means you could end up giving them several thousand dollars off the house so they can purchase new carpet when they move in. Why lower the price when you can clean, patch, and repair the carpet?
1. Shampoo: There are carpet shampoo machines available to rent at most home improvement stores, but this is the time to invest in a professional. Professional carpet cleaners spend their days cleaning carpets and really know how to make them look good. Let them do their job. If you plan on moving out before listing your home, schedule the cleaning after you remove all your furniture.
2. Patch: Life happens. Carpet gets damaged. Instead of trying to hide things with an oddly placed plant or two, look into carpet repair services. Believe it or not, even if your stressed-out pooch dug a hole right through your carpet, the experts can fix it for you with a method called carpet patching. While the methods vary, they can use scraps of carpet, loose fibers, and adhesives to make the hole virtually disappear.
3. Re-Stretch: Carpet is installed by stretching it taut between the tack strips. Carpet layers kick the carpet to get it as tight as possible before trimming the excess. Unfortunately, this tautness may loosen over time, especially in heavily trafficked areas. Carpet repair services can be scheduled to come to your home to re-stretch the carpet for a nominal fee, making the carpet look new again.
4. Color Repair: If your carpet has stains that cannot be removed by shampooing, there is still hope for your floors. Sun damage, red wine stains, and even bleach can all be repaired by professional carpet repair services. Using a bit of carpet dye, a professional can easily fix the color of your carpet.
A little bit of elbow grease before you list your home can increase the value of your house in the eyes of potential buyers. Start with the carpet, and get it looking like new.
To learn more, contact a resource that offers carpet repair services.
