What Can You Do to Prepare Your Home for Sale?

Preparing your home for sale is a crucial step in the listing process and one that is often overlooked. I am bringing you some tips on very affordable things that you can do to the interior and exterior of your home to prepare it for the market. Beginning with the exterior, the old adage says, “You have one chance to make a great first impression.” With that being said, curb appeal accounts for everything. Remember you are in a Beauty Contest; think of it as a Miss USA competition combined with a price war.

To improve the curb appeal of your home, you can begin by pressure washing your roof, all walkways, your deck, drive way and patio. You can also touch up your landscaping by trimming trees, replanting flowers and spreading new mulch. This is the time to clean out your gutters and take care of those small “fix it” jobs as well. If a buyer likes your home, they will most likely drive by at night so make sure all bulbs have been replaced in your exterior lighting and your landscape lighting shows off your fresh landscape. Also, make sure to keep unsightly trashcans out of view.

As for the interior of your home, make sure that you have some sort of candle or air freshener available so that the home smells fresh. Be sure to depersonalize and declutter; perhaps consider having the home professionally staged because keep in mind that buyers want to try and envision themselves in your home. Professional stagers are experts at knowing how to show off your home’s best features and benefits. Their efforts can dramatically speed up the time it takes to get quality offers on your home. Go ahead and open your blinds and keep the colors neutral in the home because buyers love bright and airy. Set the dinner table, fresh flowers on the table and use items that touch the senses like fruit bowls or freshly baked cookies.

The 3 best words when getting your home ready for sale are “Less is more.” Try and accentuate the best features and benefits of your home. Removing clutter will also make your home to look bigger and gives you an opportunity to move furniture around thereby showing off the room in all its glory. Focusing on the little details prove that the big stuff tends to take care of itself. For example, do you have any bulbs out? You want to illuminate the home when showing it to buyers. If you have marble or tile flooring, consider having it professionally cleaned and the grout cleaned.

If you have carpet, you may want to have it professionally cleaned. This is especially important to do if you have pets as some potential buyers may be allergic. Do any of the rooms need a touch up with paint (or color change if the room is painted a dark or unusual color)? Removing and dust is key because buyers are very hands on.

Thanks again for tuning in; we’ll see you next time!