Special offer

It's All About the Sparkle!

By
Real Estate Agent with Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA KW Legacy Group S44645

When it comes to selling your home, you need to make your house sparkle above the competition.  A good healthy dose of spring cleaning and elbow grease will do the trick. 

If you have been living with tired old fixtures that you SWORE would be the first thing to go (6 years ago when you bought the house, you had the champagne taste and beer budget), now is the time to invest in your home!  Every little update that you do will reflect to the buyers that you have carefully and thoughtfully maintained your home.  Remember, turnkey.  This is a beauty contest and a price war at the same time.  If you want to be at the top of the price range that I give you, you will need to willing to put in the effort to bring your "A game" for every showing.

Mrs Clean

All the curtains and blinds pulled back to reveal clean windows and sills, even the insides of the windows and screens to be cleared of last year's dirt and dead bugs.  All the baseboards to be wiped down and light switches should match and free of dirty fingerprints.  If you don't want to clean them, you can replace them for less than 25 cents per switchplate.  This is a great way to make everything look new in your home, especially if they do not currently match anyway.

Climb up to all those ceiling fans and get the furry blades clean too!  And while you are up there, the cobwebs from the corners are not helping give you that sparkling image either. 

You have been meaning to get the new mailbox, new door handle that sticks when even you try to wiggle that key just at the right angle...let's make sure that the agent can get into the house!  Also the house numbers are looking a little tired too.  All the curb appeal spruce ups including colorful planters that you can take with you, weeded gardens and powerwashed walkways, give the impression that a home is well cared for inside and out.  You only get one chance to make that first impression after all.

A quick sale will always result when you have an abnormally clean house.  Lack of odors, lots of natural and artificial light, well placed furniture and neutrally flowing rooms will give the buyer the imagination to see their things in your home.  All it takes is a couple of weekends of being Mr. Clean!  Trust me, it will be worth it when your home sells faster than any other one in your price range.

Call me for your free home consultation today!  Whether you have it in you to be Mr. and Mrs. Clean or you need me to find someone to get it done for you, it is all about the sparkle!

Keep smiling!

Karen

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto

Posted by

 

Karen Feltman, REALTOR®, ABR, AHS, CHMS,                                                                      CNE,CRS, e-Pro, green, GRI, SRES, TRC

Keller Williams Legacy Group

4850 Armar Drive SE Ste B

Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403

Email: karenfeltman@gmail.com

Mobile  319-521-0701

www.KarenFeltman.com

Licensed in the State of Iowa

© 2010-2021 by Karen Feltman, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Relocation Specialist 

Comments (4)

Winston Heverly
Coldwell Banker Access Realty - South Macon, GA
GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA

I have to say showing a property like to today that looks like a model and a short-sale is refreshing.

Jul 03, 2012 07:57 AM
Connie Harvey
Pilkerton Realtors - Brentwood, TN
Realtor - Nashville TN Real Estate

Karen, this is priceless information. A sparkling clean house will sell so much more quickly than another. Then again, who doesn't want to live in a clean house!

Jul 03, 2012 08:23 AM
Charles Stallions Property Manager
Charles Stallions Real Estate Services - Pace, FL
Pensacola, Pace & Gulf Breeze Property Management

Hi Karen that is a workout for anyone not sure our foreclosure market is up to it. Good luck and happy selling

Jul 03, 2012 01:52 PM
Regina P. Brown
MBA Broker Consultants - Carlsbad, CA
M.B.A., Broker, Instructor

Karen, excellent tips for the sellers!  What I liked about your post is that you've clearly discussed the details on what needs to be cleaned to give the house that sparkling look.  Thanks for sharing!

Jul 07, 2012 12:49 AM