10 Tips For Preparing Your Home For Sale

10 Tips For Preparing Your Home For Sale

Here are 10 tips for preparing your home for sale.  Getting ready to make a move?  Sell your property faster with these tips.  By doing these things before putting you house on the market you will attract more buyers.  It is important to have your home ready to sell when it goes on the market as you will get the most traffic within the first two weeks.

REMEMBER:  Curb appeal and first impressions are what is going to get the buyers inside your home and getting them inside the home is your goal, right?

When preparing your house for sale, think of yourself as a buyer.  Look at your home as if you are seeing it for the first time and you are looking to buy it.  Now let's look at the tips!

1. Front of house: Take a good look at your house from across the street.  What do you see?  Do the scrubs need to be trimmed?  Flower beds weeded?  Is your front porch clean?  Does it need to be de-cluttered?  Some people have too many plants and too much furniture on their front porch.  If this is the case, move some of it off.  Store them until moving or use them in a different area.  Does your front door need a fresh coat of paint?  You want your front door to pop.  Use a color that will make it stand out.  Remember the goal is to get the buyer inside!
2. Inside the house:                                                                                              Kitchen De-clutter:  The homebuyer will open drawers, cabinets and pantry.  They want to make sure these areas are large enough to hold their things.  The kitchen is a good place to start to de-clutter.  Open the drawers, cabinets and pantry.  If they are jammed packed, this gives the buyer a negative feeling that there is not enough storage space.  Clean them out.  Organizing them will make them more appealing to the buyer.  Pace up and store things you don't use.  Create as much empty space as possible.  Do this with every cabinet and drawer.                                                     Clean off the countertops.  Put your toaster up in the cabinet and pull it out when you need to use it.  Store as much as possible.  Have the countertops as bare as possible.  Stage it a little with a plant, cookbook, etc.                                                                                                                    Beneath the sink is very important.  Do not overlook this!  Make sure that beneath the sink is as empty as possible.  Put away most of the cleaning supplies.  You should scrub the area really well and determine if there are signs of a leak as this could cause the homebuyer to hesitate in buying your home.
3. Closet Clutter:                                                                                                            Go through every closet, including linen and coat closets.  Closets are known for accumulating clutter, though you might not think of clothes as being clutter.  If you don't wear it, get it out.  Remove the clothes that are not in season at that time.  Pack and store them.  By doing this you are making the closet appear bigger and will be more appealing to the homebuyer.
4. Furniture Clutter:                                                                                                  Many people have too much furniture in certain rooms - maybe not for your living needs.  But think like a buyer, buyers want more space.  It might be time to remove that extra chair or maybe a end table that you have been meaning to move out anyway.  Free up floor space.  This makes a room appear bigger.                                                                                        
5. Garage Clutter:                                                                                                        Garages are known to be used for storage but they not only accumulate clutter but also junk.  Remove as much of this as possible.  The homebuyer needs to be able to imagine how they can use the space.            
6. Odor Control:                                                                                                               For those who smoke, you might want to minimize smoking inside while your home is for sale.  You could also purchase an ozone spray that helps remove the odors that a "DEEP" cleaning does not get out.                           Pets of all kind create odors that you might become used to, but are immediately noticeable to someone who might not have a pet.  For those with cats, be sure to change the litter box daily.  For those with dogs, keep the dog outside as much as possible.  You might also try sprinkling carpet freshener of the carpet on a periodic basis.
7. The Back Yard:                                                                                                           The back yard should be tidy and free of debris.  If you have a pool or spa, keep it maintained and constantly cleaned.
8. Lighting:                                                                                                                      When you know someone is coming to tour your home, turn on all the indoor and outdoor lights, even during the day.  This will give the house a "homey" feel when viewed from the street.  During the daytime, turning on the lights prevents harsh shadows from the sunlight and it brightens up any dim areas.  Your house looks more homey and cheerful with the lights on.
9. Kitchen Trash:                                                                                                            If your trash can does not have a lid take the trash out every time someone comes to view your home, even if it is under the sink.  You want your home to leave a positive impression.  Kitchen trash can will not!
10. Keep the house tidy and neat:                                                                                  Not every one makes their beds everyday but when selling your home it is recommended that you develop that habit.  Tidy up everyday, pick up empty glasses in the family room, pick up papers, keep everything dusted and vaccumed.                                                                                                                                                            Remember you are getting ready to move.  By doing these things your house will sell faster and bring you, the seller more money.                                   I hope you will find the 10 tips for preparing your home for sale to be helpful.  If you are preparing to SELL your home I would love the opportunity to meet and talk with you about what I can do for you!