SALEM AREA HOME SELLERS! HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR GETTING YOU TOP DOLLAR FOR YOUR HOME! THE BATHROOM PART 1.
I am starting a new series of articles based on my Seller Newsletters full of tips for selling your Salem area home for top dollar even in the current Salem Oregon Real Estate Market. If you would like to be added to my free newsletter list, please contact me, and I will get you added right away.
We are going to start this series off with the bathrooms. When a house is on the market, it becomes less the owner's home and more of a display item. Nowhere is this more important to remember than in the bathroom. Buyers don't want to see the seller's personal hygiene items, moldy remnants of steamy showers, or a soap scum-covered collection of empty shampoo bottles. They want to be confident that this most private of rooms is well maintained and sanitized. The trick to make the area seem less, well...private.
Preparing a bathroom for potential buyers is a four step process:
- Clean
- Repair
- Sanitize
- Spruce
Every surface that can hold something - vanity, toilet tank, shower window, floor - should be cleared of as many objects as possible. The same thing applies for anything that can be opened - medicine cabinet, drawers, and linen closets.
Cleaning begins with throwing out any expired medication, make-up that hasn't been used in a year, nearly empty containers, and any other useless objects found while emptying cabinets and drawers.
The process continues with wiping each shelf, drawer, and cabinet door. When everything is out from under the sink, take the time to check the faucets and pipes for leaks. If faucets leak, washers probably need to be changed. In some cases, the faucets may be corroded and need to be replaced. If this is the case, opt for an inexpensive and very plain model. Fill the sink with water. If it drains from the sink slowly, pour in some drain clog remover and see if this helps. When everything is clean and in working condition, neatly return items to the cabinet under the sink, using containers for small objects like bath toys, sponges or cleaners. While the top of the toilet tank is bare, lift up the top and check the water level and condition of the inner mechanisms. Flush the toilet. Does the water refill to the correct level? Does the water shut off when it reaches this level? If not, then the inside mechanism with the seat and stopper at the bottom of the tank will need to be replaced.
One of the many benefits of listing your home with me is that at Coldwell Banker Mountain West, we have a group of handymen that are employed by our company to do basic handyman repairs on our seller's homes for as long as your home is on the market, and on our buyer's homes for as long as they own their home. It's called our Lifetime Handyman Repair Service. They will take care of any leaking faucets and shower heads, toilets that are not working correctly, and they will put fresh caulking in your bathroom once you have everything else ready to go in the bathroom which helps to provide a cleaner and fresher appearance. Our Lifetime Handyman Repair Service has saved our sellers and buyers a great deal of money by providing free repairs.
So, there you go, some tips to get you started on getting your bathrooms in order before putting your home on the market. Stay tuned for part 2 of The Bathroom. Would you like a free copy of my book "How to Sell Your House for Top Dollar, Fast"? Or, would you like me to do a walk-thru of your home to provide you with a pinpoint price analysis of your home, along with a copy of my "101 Quick and Easy Tips to Make Your Home Show Like a Model Home"? If you would like more information about the services that I offer to my sellers, you can contact me directly at 503-931-1846 or MelWagnerBroker@msn.com.
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