You are going to put your home on the market and are wondering what you should do to prepare. Here is a list of ideas that will get your home ready for the market and make the process much smoother.
I cannot stress de-cluttering enough. Most of the people who come through your home will have difficulty imagining their own furniture in your place if there is a lot of clutter and personal items everywhere. Take down most of those photos of Auntie Anna and Grandma. While they mean a lot to you, they will not help sell your home.
If you have a room or wall that is painted in bright bold colors (I once had a client that had the walls in one room painted in the colors of his favorite football team with banners and other team items everywhere) I sincerely suggest you PAINT THAT ROOM!!! Make it something neutral - off while, light beige, whatever but get rid of the team colors! What if the prospective client can't stand that team????
Look over your home. What repairs need to be completed? Although they are minor repairs, it can be the 'make or break' in selling. Would you want a place that has numerous little repairs that need to be completed or a home that says the current owner kept everything pristine?
Make sure the down spouts and gutters are cleaned out. If there are cracked or broken windows, replace them. Touching up peeling paint can make a big difference! Can your house number be easily seen from the street? If not, prospective clients and their agents will have a difficult time finding your home!
Replace light bulbs that are dead. Make sure sinks don't drip, doors don't squeek. Repair torn screens. In the kitchen and bathroom make sure everything is clean, tidy and NOT cluttered! Cleaned windows and mirrors are wonderful! Cleaned and polished countertops are welcoming! Keep the floors clean and neat.
Remember to take the trash out, keep litter boxes clean and keep Fido and Kitty also clean! Nothing can make a person run faster than pet odors when they walk into a house!!!! It is a good idea to keep Fido in a travel cage if you know there is doing to be a showing.
How about the front of your home? How does it look from the street? Would a little mulch and a few fresh plants or flowers make the curb appeal a little more interesting? In the backyard, make sure that the storage shed does not look like it needs to be hauled away (if it does, repair it or haul it away). Is the pool clean? How about the cage around the pool? Clean, without holes??? You might want to pressure wash the deck around the pool!
This is just a partial list and in another post I will write about preparing your home for the actual showing. There is so much you can do and remember, if you want to sell your home you have to be willing to work with your agent. The agent can only do so much. Preparing your home is vital!!! That is why some homes are sold so quickly! They look ready to move into, inviting, warm, friendly. That is what you want your home to look like to the prospective buyers.
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