What to look at when buying a home

If you are thinking about moving, give serious consideration to staging your house to sell. Getting your house ready to attract buyers is one of the most important steps you will take. Think of preparing your house like trading in your car. Would you take your car to the dealer without removing all trash, wiping down the dashboard, cleaning the windshields, vacuuming the carpets and floorboards, washing the exterior, etc? The same goes for staging your house to sell. Your house should look it’s very best for buyers! When staging your house, think of your house in areas. Start with the exterior. Is the grass cut? Weeds pulled? Are the bushes trimmed? Are there cobwebs above the front door? How does the front door paint look? You never get a second chance to make a first impression. When staging your house to sell, spend time making your house look as inviting and well kept as possible. Next area in staging your house is the interior. What are the sources of light? If natural light, are the windows clean? Lightbulbs all in working order? Are there enough lamps or lights to fill the room with light? How clean is the house? Pay careful attention to not only the big spaces (kitchen countertops, etc) but the small ones, too. I tell my buyers to look at the baseboard and trim. If there is a lot of dirt by the baseboard, or if the trim is dirty and gouged, chances are those sellers took care of the rest of their house like they did those area. Take the time in staging your house to sell to attend to the details. Look at the mechanical and “big ticket” items when staging your house. Is the furnace in good repair? Does you’re A/C make strange noises when the fan is going? Has it been recently cleaned and serviced? Is your roof missing shingles? Look at your home through a buyer’s eyes. You may have tolerated things in your house and deferred maintenance until later, but if you want your house to sell, repair and service these items prior to putting it on the market. Whether it’s cleaning, de-cluttering, repairing or servicing, take time to make your house look it’s best prior to the first showing. Staging your house to sell can pay off in netting you more money, but in selling quicker, too!