31 Tips to Prepare Your Home FOR SALE!

First Impressions are vital to your buyers, as they can just drive right by and never look inside, let’s talk about the exterior of your home and making
the best first impression:

1. Spruce up the font entrance. A coat of paint on the door; brass accents such as house numbers, a doorknob, and a kick plate all shine and make a spectacular first impression. Put potted flowering plants by the front door. Give shutters and front porch a flesh coat of paint. A window box full of flowers is an inexpensive way to add an accent of color to your home’s exterior. Pruned bushes and blooming plants can help your home make a good first impression. Don’t be afraid to use fake flowers like pansies and mums if you will not be able to keep the flowers vibrant and alive. Buy a new large doormat.

2. If you have a deck, patio, porch or other outdoor entertainment area such as a pool or hot tub, make the most of them. Keep these areas, as well as your backyard, clean and clutter-free; put debris in covered trashcans.

3. Install outdoor lighting that properly illuminates your entrances, walkways, and drive. Turn on all those outdoor lights when your home is being shown.

4. Pick up tools and toys from the yard. Put garbage cans in the garage and shut the door. Make sure the garage is swept, and try to remove any stains from the floor. Paint the floor if possible. Clean gutters and down spouts. Straighten and paint if necessary. Put away lawn equipment and gardening tools, organize if necessary. Repair fences and gates, and give them a fresh coat of paint if necessary.

5. Mow your lawn. For more lushness, be sure to water, mow and fertilize it regularly. Remove dandelions and other weeds that are visible. A good rule of thumb for mowing is never cut off more than one-third of the blade at one time. For example, if the recommended height is 2 inches, mow when your grass is 3 inches. Watering the lawn during the evenings and weekends Is healthy and while potential buyers drive by, they see nice green grass and it shows you really care about the appearance of the outside of your home, the inside must be well cared for as well.

6. Garage: Put an opener by the door closest to the garage for showings to see the interior of the garage. If it is not automatic, make a note near the door to instruct the buyers to lift on the manual door to see inside.

7. Depending on the season, hose down the house, walkway, and drive at least once a week. If the exterior of the house is dirty, and most are in the city, Windex makes a product to attach to the end of the hose that allows a mild cleaning agent clean your siding. It will really brighten up. You can also have an expert power wash the exterior.

8. Repair cracks and pull weeds from walkways and the drive. Edge between your lawn, drive and walkways. Remove dead leaves, limbs, and other debris from lawn. Trim trees and hedges. Prune evergreens and shrubs. Weed and cultivate flower and vegetable beds. Put fresh mulch around trees, shrubs, or hedges. The thicker the better, it will keep out weeds, and that is the goal, a nice border that you will not have to weed half way through the listing.

9. Shovel the snow neatly and carefully if you have a showing on a snowy day. Spread salt if necessary, especially if you have dangerous icy steps to the front door. Have walkways safe and clean. Inside the front door, have extra door mats that are supple to collect snow and salt on shoes etc. and towels if very wet.

10. If you are an absentee seller, make arrangements for lawn care and snow removal. You may also need to have lamps on timers in each room for better showing in the evenings and to draw attention at all times of the day. You could also consider Staging the home to create a more lived in feel for potential buyers to better relate.

Now lets imagine the buyers entering the inside of your home for the first time, after commenting on how cute the Curb Appeal is, you don’t want to disappoint!

11. Ask a friend to care for your pets or take them to the kennel when your home is being shown. Take them on a walk, to the dog park, or for a ride in the car. Arrange for a doggie daycare on a day with a lot of showings or an open house. Not everyone likes dogs or cats and many people are allergic as well. Having your pet and most signs of a pet living in the house removed is preferred and will add value to your home. Park your camper, boat or extra car at another location.

12. Clean out closets. Sort through all of your closets, drawers, and storage areas. Toss what you can, organize the rest. If you are moving anyway, just pack away the clothes that you will not be needing in another season to make the closets look spacious.

13. If you have too much furniture in your home, put some pieces in storage to make a better first impression. Arrange furniture to make each room appear larger. Often, if your rooms are smaller, take up the area rugs and this will create a visual of much more space in each room.

14. Clean. Not only should your home be spotless, it must smell clean. Apply elbow grease and strong cleansers to surfaces inside and outside your home. Murphy’s Oil Soap for the floors gives a great clean scent, and a fresh clean with Windex works well too! Clean the windowsills. Consider painting if cleaning doesn’t do the job. Do not over do the scents with strong air fresheners, they tend to be too strong and seem to be masking something much worse. Clean all curtains and draperies and mini-blinds; shampoo rugs and wax floors.

15. Sparkling windows are a signal to buyers that you care about your home. Clean your interior and exterior windows. Repair cracked panes, torn screens, broken sashes, and ropes or cords. Whenever your home is being shown, open your curtains and blinds to let the light in – especially if the view is nice.

16. Make minor repairs. Tighten loose knobs, fix leaky facets and discolored sinks, lubricate squeaky hinges, clean out clogged drains, replace filters, secure loose shingles, fix holes in screens, tighten loose banisters, repair doors, door knobs and remove stains.

17. Carpeting has a major impact on the look of your home. If yours is badly worn, outdated or stained, consider replacing it. Carpeting is expensive, but many real estate agents recommend the investment because of the feeling of newness it creates. Concentrate on the high visibility areas – the living room and dining room – first.

18. Hardwood floors add to the beauty and value of a home and deserve special attention. If you live in an older home, check for hardwood floors under the carpeting. You may be able to pull up the carpeting and refinish or simply clean and wax the floors to create a classic fresh look. Removing any area rugs adds size to any room.

19. Make sure all lighting fixtures work. Add new bulbs with the highest wattage allowed for each fixture to make your rooms seem brighter. Replace if they do not work.

20. Appeal to the senses. Create an aroma during showings. Burn candles or potpourri, boil a pot of cinnamon sticks, or put a dab of vanilla on cold light bulbs before turning them on. Go as far as to make cookies and set them out for buyers to sample, it creates a great smell and a wonderful welcoming feeling for them.

21. If you have pets or if someone in your home smokes, the odors can linger and lessen your home’s appeal. You might not notice these smells if you live with them every day, but an unchanged cat box or an ashtray filled with cigarette butts can mean your home will get no further attention.

22. Paint. Light, neutral colors such as beige, sage or off-white, have a broader appeal and can make small rooms seem larger and airier. If you have dated wallpaper, remove the paper and paint the walls. Choose premium quality paint. Caulk and fill nail holes before painting. Touch up the trim if it looks worn or dirty. Buy new white switch plates and electrical outlet covers if they are old and dirty.

23. Repair a wet basement. The problem can be as easy to fix as installing covers over window wells or cleaning out the gutters and rerouting the downspouts. If the moisture problem calls for more extensive repairs and you are not able to make them, be prepared to explain the problem to a buyer. Don’t try to cover up the signs of a wet basement.

24. For a dark basement that might be a little “scary" to the buyers, especially those in the Hyde Park area, there are some tips for making it a basement you will love. Just paint the walls a bright white, and the floors a tan or gray, and add several $20 fluorescent light fixtures throughout the basement. You will be shocked at the beauty!

25. Exterminate if you have any bug issues. One bug, dead or alive, can make a bad impression on a buyer. Call in a professional to rid your home of insects, and allow time for the smell of the pesticide to disappear before showing your home.

26. Organize the kitchen. Clear off the counters. Add drawer organizer to suggest efficient use of space. Store seldom-used small appliances and large baking pans. Clear off refrigerator of photos and notes. Wash cabinet fronts and appliances as they tend to become dirty, especially with pets and young children.

27. If you have children (or a messy husband), get them each a pretty basket with a lid, or a Rubbermaid storage bin for their rooms. This will serve as a place for them to put anything out of place in their rooms before they go to school. They can make their bed and put things away quickly; this will help you and save time before showings, and allow you to always be ready.

28. Update the bath. If cleaning and painting can’t make a dingy bath dynamite, consider replacing the vanity and sink, installing a new floor covering, or resurfacing or re-glaze a stained bathtub. Even a new shower curtain or toilet seat and white clean floor rugs can work wonders.

29. Buy or cut fresh flowers for a dramatic arrangement in any room or in several rooms. This touch always shows buyers that you take the extra steps to make your home a nice place, and you likely also do the little repairs that keep it in great condition.

30. Take a picture – it will last longer. If your home is surrounded by flowering or fruit-bearing trees, low-maintenance landscapes, and herbal or flower gardens, be sure to take pictures when everything is in full bloom. Photographs are proof of the breathtaking view of your lawn and garden and tell prospective buyers the full story of your home – no matter the season. We can add these seasonal photos to the virtual tours and really showcase the home at all times of the year. If you have neighborhood or block parties, picnics or parades on the street or neighborhood, add those to show the community you are a part of!

31. Create an ambiance for the buyers, arrange for a boom box, stereo or on your TV cable channels 501-547 for “Music Choice" through out the house. Turn this on during the showings with some classic or jazz music, or a light radio station. This relaxes the buyer and makes them feel at home. It creates a buffer from creeks in the floors and street traffic, and furnace noises etc. Not too loud, but audible throughout the home.

These tips should set the mood and create a quick sale for your home. Let me know if I need to add any more items!