HOW TO
PREPARE YOUR HOME
FOR A QUICK SALE AT A PREMIUM PRICE
By Jese Gonzalez
RE/MAX Associates
915-549-1962
Why is it important to correctly prepare your home for sale?
First impressions are everything, and that is also true for buyers who tour your home. A home properly presented will have buyers thinking that your home is the perfect place for them. This will translate to a quicker sale and a higher price.
Tips for Preparing Your Home for Sale
Outside
•Ø Paint, stain or varnish front door and surrounding trim. Polish brass.
•Ø Go around the perimeter of the house and move all garbage cans, discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, etc., into the garage.
•Ø Make sure gutters are swept and cleaned.
•Ø Look at all plants... prune bushes and trees. Keep plants from blocking windows. Buyers won't purchase a house they can't see!
•Ø Weed and then mulch all planting areas. Keep lawn freshly cut and fertilized. Remove any dead plants or shrubs.
•Ø Clear patios and decks of all small items, such as small planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbecues, toys, etc. Put them in the garage or a storage unit.
•Ø Check paint condition of the entire house.
Inside
•Ø Plants, floral arrangements and even fresh fruit are simple, inexpensive ways to liven up a home and appeal to a buyer's senses.
•Ø The foyer must be clean and not cluttered with furniture. Clean light fixtures and the floor until they sparkle. Add a nice touch with a small entrance table with fresh-cut flowers.
•Ø Put away all collections (figurines, fragile items, etc.) and store all political and religious mementos as well as any business, sports and personal awards.
•Ø Take the extra leaf out of the dining room &/or kitchen table and put a nice white tablecloth on it. Again, a center-piece of flowers or fresh fruit adds a nice touch.
•Ø Remove all refrigerator magnets and items, including children's pictures from school.
•Ø Stow all small kitchen appliances under the cabinets to free up counter space.
•Ø Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen countertops. A sparse kitchen helps the buyer mentally move their own things into your kitchen.
•Ø Downplay dated bathroom ceramic tile color with white towels, window treatments and scatter rugs.
•Ø Replace rusted sinks or cover up spots with touch up.
•Ø Repair or replace defective bathroom exhaust fans.
•Ø Remove any unnecessary items from bathroom countertops, tubs, shower stalls and commode tops. Keep only your most needed cosmetics (brushes, perfumes etc.) in one small group on the counter, but only if necessary.
•Ø Coordinate bath towels to one or two colors only.
•Ø Clean out bedroom, coat, and linen closets to make them appear as if there is plenty of room.
•Ø Remove stains from garage floors.
•Ø Clean all windows/cobwebs in corners of garage and basement.
•Ø Repair all screen holes or replace screen completely, depending on condition.
•Ø Make sure outdoor furniture is clean and orderly, and not excessive.
•Ø Review each room and:
•1. Rearrange/remove some furniture if necessary. As owners, many times we have too much furniture in a room. This is wonderful for our own personal enjoyment, but when it comes to selling, we need to thin out as much as possible to make rooms appear larger.
•2. Take down, or rearrange certain pictures or objects on walls. Patch and paint if necessary.
•3. Clear all unnecessary objects from furniture throughout the house. Keep decorative objects on the furniture to a minimum.
•4. Paint any room needing paint.
•5. Clean carpets or drapes that need it.
•6. Clean Windows.
•Ø If you need room to store extra possessions use the garage or rent a storage unit.
My Home is Ready - Now What?
The way you live in your home and the way you live in your home when you are selling it are two different things. It is very important that you keep your home in the proper condition.
•ü Make all beds everyday.
•ü Keep all toilet seats down.
•ü Make sure towels are hung properly.
•ü Make sure all crumbs are cleaned from counter tops after meals, and all pots/pans/dishes are cleaned and put away.
•ü Turn on lights in each room when showing and have light music playing during showings.
•ü Don't leave dirty clothes on the floor, and put all your belongings away.
•ü Keep all counter top items put away in the kitchen and baths
•ü If your home is being shown by a Realtor, leave the house! The buyer will feel self-conscious about viewing your home with you there
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