10 Tips to Get Your Champlin Home Ready to Sell
Heidi Herda YOUR Champlin Realtor & Resident!!
If you're checking out this article now, you may be considering selling your home soon or planning to sell in the Spring when the Champlin real estate market heats up! 
Either way, I have 10 easy tips to prepare your Champlin home for sale!
Clean, Clean, & Clean some more!
1. One of the most significant things you can do to get your home ready to sell is the most obvious, but not always done well. Cleaning! The cleaner the better!
When you become a buyer and you’re walking into a home for the first time the five senses take over.
Is there an odor in the house? Keeping the home white glove clean with a fresh lemon scent is a nice touch for a prospective home buyer.
Always make sure you go through closets, organize them, and don’t over-clutter or “jam” things into the closets or cupboards because they will look in them!
Overcrowding a closet or cupboard may suggest that you don’t have enough closet space, or you don’t have enough cabinet space. It’s best to clean them and box up what you will likely not use between now and when you move.
Also, eliminate any clutter. When it comes to viewing properties less is always more. If you have hardwood floors, new fresh carpets, or special features in your home, don’t cover them up with rugs, bulky furniture, or a lot of clutter so they are not easily seen. Don’t overcrowd bookshelves or entertainment centers. Movies, CDs, or books are things that can be boxed until the move. A small book or two, a nice plant or a candle is a much better look. Don’t forget about any Nick Knack collections as they should also be boxed and put in a safe place free from possibly being broken accidentally.
Do The Touch-Ups
2. Take a walk through your home and check for the small things that you may have neglected over the years. Are you missing any trim boards, do your door handles function, and are the cupboard door and drawer handles secure and in working order? Check your faucets for slow leaks, and running toilets. Check that your railing or banisters are secure and that deckrailings, and stairway handrails. Do the doors need WD-40? These are all very small things that can make a difference in the overall perspective of your home to a potential buyer.
Make Those Little Repairs
3. Check the home for any water stains, leaks, or discoloration in the walls, peeling paint, or ceiling and wall cracks. If you do find anything that may be leaking or has been leaking make the necessary repairs, replace any Sheetrock that may have been wet or damp, and paint as needed. If you do have to make a fix or two don’t forget to add the repair to your sellers' disclosure at the time of listing. Water stains and ceiling or wall discoloration can sometimes scare a potential buyer. If the repair has been made and no additional damage has not occurred since the fix painting and patching can alleviate a nervous buyer if the issues have already been taken care of. When looking for peeling paint, don’t forget to check your window sills and trim and even any exterior doors, sheds, or decks.
Many buyers will consider using FHA financing and peeling paint is usually an issue for financing. Getting some of these little odd projects done prior to listing will give a prospective buyer a good well-kept impression of your home and will eliminate needed work to be done should a financing issue arise.
4. Check your windows, make sure the screens are on, they’re the correct size for the window, and they’re free of tears or holes. Make sure the windows are clean, the sills are free of bugs, and make sure the windows are in working order and there are no cracks. Windows are a huge expense to a home seller or home buyer, ensuring they’re clean and functional will be important to a prospective buyer and also could be another required repair if the buyer is planning to use FHA financing.
Tidy, Tidy, Tidy
5. Wall dings, dents, holes, and black marks happen especially if you’re in the midst of trying to get your furniture moved out of the house. Touch-ups and patches can go a long way in sprucing up the presentation of the home. If you have very dark walls or anything but neutral colors you may want to consider a fresh coat of paint. Painting is very impacting and one of the lesser costs when thinking about making a cosmetic change to your home. Double-check your doors, hallway doors, trim boards, and front door. The interior doors and trim boards may need a once-over paint touch-up, the front door probably could use a fresh coat of paint, and double check the locks and handles are working well, if not, replace them.
6. Check your front entryway. Does your home feel clean and welcoming as you enter or are there shoes piled up, mangled dirty rugs, and clutter? Put shoes and coats in the coat closet that’s clean and organized. Make sure the rugs are free of holes and dirt. Give the floor a good cleaning and sweeping and maybe add a decorative plant or season-appropriate wreath.
Curb Appeal "is in"
7. Take a walk outside to check the landscaping. Mow the grass, keep it watered, and don’t cut it too short. Make sure your hedges are neatly trimmed, remove any weeds, and sweep the walkway or rake leaves as needed to give your exterior a finished look as well. Remember curb appeal is a crucial piece for a 
prospective home buyer. A new welcome mat or blooming flowers add a nice touch. Don’t forget to check your gutters, and clean them if necessary. Standing water or very soggy yards can give a false impression that there could be issues, keeping the gutters working properly and free of debris can eliminate an unnecessary worry from the buyer's mind.
Condense & Declutter
8. Check the kitchen! A kitchen can never have too much cupboard space or countertop space, make sure before you leave in the morning for work that you remove coffee makers, electric can openers, canisters, or small kitchen appliances from the countertops especially if they’re granite. Let the high-end finishings show through, and show your prospective buyer there’s plenty of space for baking or cooking their favorite dinner. Also, check the refrigerator door, remove magnets, pictures, calendars, and coupons, and put them in a drawer temporarily. Less clutter and the cleaner the better.
Organize & Pitch
9. Check the garage. As most home sellers anticipate their move or begin packing away some of their items the garage is typically the first place that gets overcrowded with miscellaneous boxes, goodwill items, and garbage. Remember garage space or workshop space is usually a great selling point. Make sure a prospective buyer sees a clean and organized garage or workbench. If you’re planning to take a garage refrigerator, storage shelf, or workbench with you when you move, make sure to mention that to your agent so they can be upfront with prospective buyers about what will go and stay. Double-check your garage door opener works, your outlets are working and up to code (grounded). Sweep and possibly wash the garage floor and if you have boxes or items that must be in the garage, stacking them neatly in one area is usually the best.
We Love Fur Babies Too!
10. Last but not least and also very important. Your pets. As a pet owner, you love your pet, but not everyone is a pet lover. Double check the rugs are free of hair, the floors are free of hair, and try to deodorize any possible pet odors (do not get a million plug-ins and put them on high!) instead check your local hardware store for an odor deodorizer, something that will absorb the odor versus masking it. Double-check that your pet's bowls are clean and of course the litter boxes. If it’s possible for your pet to 
stay with a friend removing the pet and/or their litter box altogether can be in your best interest.
As you consider a sale of your home, think about these 10 tips. For the most part, these fixes will not cost you an arm and a leg as a remodel would, but putting a little elbow grease into your home can have a great return. Remember first impressions are everything when it comes to Real Estate, so make sure your home looks its best for every potential buyer. Creating that urgency when a home is first listed and going that extra mile in the first 11 days of market time is crucial to getting an offer right away and typically puts a couple of extra bucks in your pocket. Want to know what your home is worth?
I am proud to be a Champlin Realtor & Resident! If you're considering a move I would love the opportunity to earn your business. My 22-Point Marketing Strategy creates a pool of potential buyers and the urgency you need to put more money in your pocket. Want to know more? Schedule a FREE, Seller Consultation! 612.807.4858 ~ Heidi Herda with The Herda Home Team - eXp Realty.
If you live in Champlin, knowing the current market can also give you an insight into whether now is the best time to sell your home. The number of active listings in Champlin (55316) dropped by 13.8% from the previous month.
The median number of days active properties have been listed is 33. This is significantly shorter than the national average.
The number of sales in May dropped by 95% from the previous month. The current average sale price for Champlin is $214,250. Right now we have 75 homes in Champlin on the MLS.
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What is an Appraisal and How Does it Affect Me?
I hope you enjoyed these 10 tips for things to do before you sell your home! Thank you for reading Heidi Herda’s Real Estate blog, “ 10 Tips to Getting Your Champlin Home Ready to Sell!”
Don't forget to "like'' my Champlin Real Estate Facebook page for weekly updates exclusive to the Champlin Real Estate market. Heidi Herda Realtor - The Herda Home Team ~ 612.807.4858
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