Preparing your home to ‘Get it Sold’

Now that you've made the decision to Sell your home, it's time to think about how to prepare your home for the Real Estate Market.  Here are some tips to help you have a successful sale:

1.  Change the way you think about your Home

• Take the emotion out and Say to yourself, "This is not my home; it is a house - a product to be sold.
• Make the mental decision to "let go" and focus on the fact that soon this house will no longer be yours.
• Picture yourself handing over the keys and envelopes containing appliance warranties to the new owners!
• Don't look back - look toward the future.

2.  De-Personalize
     Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can't see past personal items, and you don't want them to be distracted. You want buyers to walk through the rooms and imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can't do that if yours are there!   

3.  De-Clutter!
     People collect an astounding amount of junk. Consider this: if you haven't used it in over a year,
     you probably don't need it.

• If you don't need it, why not donate it or throw it away?
• Remove all books from bookcases.
• Pack up those knickknacks.
• Clean off everything on kitchen counters.
• Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use.
• Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway.

4.  Rearrange Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets
     Buyers are nosy and will open closet and cabinet doors. Think of the message it sends if items
     fall out! Now imagine what a buyer believes about you if she sees everything organized. It says you
     probably take good care of the rest of the house as well. This means:

• Alphabetize spice jars.
• Neatly stack dishes.
• Turn coffee cup handles facing the same way.
• Hang shirts together, buttoned and facing the same direction.
• Line up shoes.

5.  Rent a Storage Unit
     Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block paths
    and walkways and put them in storage. Since your bookcases are now empty, store them. Take those
    extra leaves out of your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough
    furniture in each room to showcase the room's purpose and plenty of room to move around. 

6.  Remove/Replace Favorite Items
     If you want to take window coverings, built-in appliances or fixtures with you, remove them now.
     If the chandelier in the dining room once belonged to your great grandmother, take it down. If a
     buyer never sees it, she won't want it.  Pack those items and replace them, if necessary. 

7.  Make Minor Repairs

• Replace cracked floor or counter tiles.
• Patch holes in walls.
• Fix leaky faucets.
• Fix doors that don't close properly and kitchen drawers that jam.
• Consider painting your walls neutral colors, especially if you have grown accustomed to purple walls.
• Replace burned-out light bulbs.
• If you've considered replacing a worn bedspread, do so now!

8.  Make the House Sparkle!

• Wash windows inside and out.
• Use a pressure washer to spray down sidewalks and exterior.
• Clean out cobwebs.
• Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks and bleach the grout.
• Polish chrome faucets and mirrors.
• Clean out the refrigerator.
• Vacuum daily.
• Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures.
• Replace worn rugs.
• Hang up fresh towels.
• Clean and air out any musty smelling areas. Odors are a no-no.

 9.  Check Curb Appeal
      If a buyer won't get out of the car because she doesn't like the exterior of your home, you'll never
      get her inside. 

• Keep the sidewalks cleared.
• Mow the lawn.
• Paint faded window trim.
• Plant some flowers. The color Yellow stimulates a buying emotion, so try Marigolds.
• Trim your bushes.
• Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.

10.  Review

• Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside? Does the house welcome you?
• Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house might look to a buyer
• Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it makes sense.
• Make sure window coverings hang level.
• Does it look like nobody lives in this house, but still feels welcoming? You're almost finished.

Regards,

Christine Selzler

 

  Christine Selzler - Realtor®
Realty International LLC 
 

Specializing in Residential, Vacation, Investment, Short Sales and Foreclosures

Central Florida Real Estate & Resources
 

Phone:  (352) 636-3510 

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