Real Estate Agents know how to get top dollar for their own homes. After all they package, market and sell homes for a living. In detail, here's what they do to their own homes to prepare them for sell:
The Exterior
Agents understand the importance of "curb appeal". To beautify the exterior of the home, they focus on the driveway, entranceway, landscaping and front door.
1. The front lawn and shrubs are manicured. Gardens are mulched.
2. All Clutter is removed from the front lawn.
3. Cracks in the driveway and walkway are fixed.
4. Gutters and downspouts are cleared and in good working order.
5. Chipped or fraying paint on door and window frames is removed, and fresh paint is added.
6. The front door is painted or replaced if needed.
7. There exterior of the house is painted if needed.
The Interior
8. Walls are cleaned so there are NO smudge marks. If the paint is dingy, the wall MUST be painted. Light colors are used to make the house appear larger.
9. Carpets are clean and in good condition. Otherwise, get rid of them.
10. The windows are thoroughly cleaned. Buyers like to look outside the windows. The windows and screen doors easily open and close and are in good shape.
11. All clutter is removed.
12. All clothes are placed in the drawers and neatly hung in the closets.
13. The kitchen is thoroughly cleaned. The cabinets, counters, and appliances are thoroughly spotless. All clutter is removed. Dishes and glasses are neatly stacked in the cupboards. There are NEVER any dirty dishes in the sink or on the counter.
14. The closets are reorganized so they appear larger. Some clothes are removed if necessary.
15. Furniture is removed and either put in the basement or into storage. This makes the home appear much larger. You NEVER want to make it difficult to walk through all the rooms in the house...clear the pathways!
16. Electrical and plumbing are in working order.
17. Broken appliances are fixed.
18. The garage door works perfectly.
19. Curtains are always opened, window shades always up and lights always on (including lamps, hallway lights, etc.) when the home is being shown (even during the day). The combination of sunlight and artificial light helps make the home appear larger and open.
20. A fresh scent is always used to appeal to buyer's senses. Vanilla is one of the most frequently used scents in builder's model homes. You can buy vanilla air fresheners that fit directly on your air filter (available at Home Depot).
21. Pet odors are always eliminated!
22. Soft jazz or classical music is always playing on the stereo when buyers come through.
Caution! Never do excessive work!
Many sellers think the more fix-up work they do, the higher the price they will get. That's not true. Beyond the necessary fix-ups, you can easily start wasting your money. Never do any unnecessary fix-ups prior to selling.
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