The Plan for Selling Your Home in Coral Springs Florida

There are many aspects of the home selling process that you must consider and plan for when you’ve made the decision to sell your home. After all, your home has likely been one of your most important investments you’ve ever made and you’re not wanting to make any hasty decisions. How can you get off on the right foot to selling your home? Today, I’ll discuss the Home Preparation process.  This process isn’t solely suitable for just Coral Springs Florida, as you’ll find homeowners nationwide who can benefit from these preparation tips.

The Process of preparing your home for sale

What do you see when you really take a closer look of your home? The process of preparing your home for sale is all about making sure that what you see will be the same thing that prospective Buyers will see; that what they see will make their eyes light up with picturing your home, as the home they’d like, to call home.  

Preparing your home for sale is similar to the cake you’d bake from scratch; it’s all about the ingredients, the handling and folding in of the ingredients, then baking the cake to perfection so the end result, the baked cake, has mouths watering from your family and friends as they’re jonesing to taste you cake! Now, let’s get prospective Buyers jonesing to buy your home! It’s all about appealing to the senses.

Here’s where the closer look begins and what you need to pay close attention to in your home preparation:

At the Curb

This will prove to be one of the most important home preparation items.  In anything that you sell, it’s always about grabbing the attention of who you want to buy what you’re selling and quick. With selling a home, there isn’t any easier way than to grab the attention of the prospective Buyers from your home’s exterior, at the curb.

What kind of shape is your roof in?  If you haven’t cleaned it lately, you’ll want to make sure you have it pressured washed or the recommended method of cleaning for your roof type.

If your roof’s fascia boards show signs of wood rot, it’s best to fix them now as they will later become an issue with any new Buyer.  It’s always better to avoid any reason for a Buyer to ask for a price reduction as what they ask for will always be more than what it would cost you to repair it ahead of time. This also applies to any exterior doors with evidence of wood rot from the door frame and the bottom area.

Take a look at your driveway and sidewalk to see if it needs attention. Perhaps it simply needs a good cleaning when you have your roof completed. Yet, if they’ve seen better days, consider resurfacing, painting and/or repairing any cracks.

The trees, bushes and garden beds will need sprucing up. Make sure your trees are trimmed and your bushes are trimmed back, as to not hide your home. Also, refresh your garden beds with some new, freshly laid mulch and remove any dyeing wilted flowers replacing them with perky new flowers.

Does your home’s exterior paint need a brightening or maybe it’s just the trim and your front door that you could paint to freshen the appeal.

When was the last time a bird tried to fly through your windows?  If it wasn’t recently, then you need to clean your windows with a bucket of warm water and vinegar, then dry them with newspapers. Nothing will sparkle more than shiny bright windows to welcome Buyers!

Does your home have a front porch or patio? If so, clean any furniture and neatly arrange your furnishings that a Buyer would want to take a seat in to relax a bit. Adding a large pot filled with brightly colored flowers puts Buyers in a good mood before they even set foot inside your home.

Now, you’ve completed all the cleaning, painting, repairs and bush/tree trimming and garden beds sprucing up, you’re now ready to put on the final touch of a freshly manicured yard, which involves, cutting the lawn right before your Realtor’s photographer comes to take photographs and video. Lastly, make sure your garbage cans and recycle bins are out of sight!

All those little details

Now we’re inside your home paying attention to all those little details.  Remember that “honey to do list” that never seems to get completed? Now that you’re selling your home, we have to tackle the “honey to do list” and get it done.  Replace missing outlet covers, loose cabinet hinges, squeaky doors, sliders/screens that are tough to slide open and shut , replace missing light bulbs, replace A/C filters, leaky faucets, running toilets and everything else on that list.

Preparing to give attention to these items before you get your home listed for sale, can do two things for you.  First, it will cost you less to fix them now, opposed to the Buyer trying to nickel and dime you for them. Perhaps of most importance however, is that with the details having been repaired ahead of time, it can show the Buyer that your home has been maintained well and a well maintained home can sell for more money.

Making it sparkle

Everybody loves things that sparkle. From jewels, champagne, glitter and the sun as it’s rays sparkle across the ocean and waterways, who doesn’t love a bit of sparkle! Making sure your home sparkles, as sparkle and shine will always win over prospective home Buyers.  

Getting your home to sparkle is probably one of the most effective things that you can do for your home. Gather up some cleaning supplies and a bit of sweat equity to pull it off. And sweat equity is never a bad thing as it can do a body good!

You’ll need to clean to get rid of all the dirt and debris along with any smoking and/or pet odors. Thoroughly remove the signs of grime from your Kitchen and Bathrooms. Clean from ceilings to floor and wall to wall. Clean your baseboards and window sills. Basically, you need to clean every nook and cranny.  Plan for your home being fit for a queen and the only thing the queen needs to bring is her toothbrush and personal belongings.

When you’ve finished, you’ll find that the clean, fresh smell of your home will have Buyers lingering and lingering is good as they plan to see where their furnishings will fit in!

Taking the you out

Often one of the most difficult steps in selling your home, is to take the emotion out of it. Homes are always filled with memories, with those memories often on display.  If you can step back for a minute and put yourself in the shoes of a Buyer. In doing so, you can imagine how great it would be if you could walk into a home that you’re considering buying and being able to clearly imagine your own memories being made in your home without having to skim over the current owners memories; seeing a blank canvas, so to speak.  You need to pack anyways to move, why not get started with your packing and pack up the “you”, taking the you out of your home.

Make the rooms of your home known

How have you been using your Dining Room? Or do you set up shop at one end with a work area for you and on the other end are all the kids toys with your dining table squeezed in between?  It’s best to have the Dining Room be suited for just a Dining Room and clear out all the other things that don’t say Dining Room.  Is it going to be inconvenient? Yes, it will however, unfortunately, selling a home isn’t convenient and know that Buyers can have a tough time with envisioning a true use for a room if you don’t have it set up as the room it’s intended for. It’s important to make it easy for them.  When it’s made easy for the Buyers, the value of your home increases.

Light it up

Dungeons are good for online video games, yet not when selling your home. Prospective Buyers don’t want to feel as if they’re entering a dark, prison cell-like area as they’ll likely turn around to run towards the light of the front door to escape.  Have your blinds and curtains open. Make sure all of your burnt out light bulbs are replaced and those missing overhead bulbs and table lights without bulbs need to have new bulbs screwed in.  Light your home up for maximum bright, light exposure. A combination of natural and artificial light is desired to elicit good moods from any Buyers. Putting a Buyer in a good mood will always prove to be beneficial.

Keep the temperature comfortable

Keeping your home at an ideal temperature; cool in the summer or warmer in the winter, will allow a Buyer to linger in comfort as they stroll through your home.  Making a Buyer comfortable doing a home showing is always well taken advice. Just as the right amount of light, described above, puts a Buyer in a good mood, the same holds true when the temperature is just right. Good moods, brings offers.

Paint it neutral

Impulsive Purple, Firework Red, Exuberant Pink, Bohemian Black, and Gusto Gold colors should not come in contact with your walls or if they already have, it’s recommended that you neutralize your home’s walls. More welcome is Alabaster, Egret White, Canvas Tan, and Grecian Ivory to name a few. Let your home be remembered for it’s clean, well cared for home and not the Bohemian Black.

Coming soon in the next article of this series on “The Plan for Selling your Home In Coral Springs Florida”, you’ll find out what else you do when selling your home in Coral Springs Florida.

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Lynn hopes you enjoyed today’s article on “The Plan for selling your home in Coral Springs”. You’ll find Lynn selling homes in Southeast Florida in the cities of Coral Springs, Parkland, Margate, Tamarac, Coconut Creek, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Sunrise, Plantation, Ft Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines and Miramar areas within Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Real Estate article written by Lynn Pineda, a licensed Southeast Florida Real Estate Agent for 9 years serving Coral Springs Florida and surrounding Southeast Florida.  Keller Williams Coral Springs Realty.  August 11, 2014. Real Estate Promises Delivered.  You can speak with  Lynn by calling her at 954-464-1100 or you can email her at: LynnP@ImagineYourHouse.com if you need to sell or buy your Southeast Florida home. Your local, trusted professional when it’s time to sell your home.

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