Preparing your Home for Sale

A home seller can get a lot more money for their home if they know how to impress their buyers.  With these simple and inexpensive ways to prep your home for sale, you could walk away with more money in your pocket.  Every buyer will judge your home within the first 8 seconds of walking in the front door.  But in order to make the best impression possible, you need to begin outside.  Go to the street and look at your home with a new lense. . .pretend that you are a potential buyer and really critique your home.  Is there garbage in the yard?  Any clutter such as empty pots or dirty shoes on the porch?  Clean those out right away.  How is your landscaping?  Are you bushes healthy and trimmed?  Are the plants in the planter boxes thriving or dying?  The curb appeal of your home is the buyers first impression. . .make it a good one.

Next, take a long hard look at your front door.  Does it need to be painted?  Are the handle and door lock damaged or difficult to use?  Are they looking worn out?  Replace them! 

Let’s walk inside. . .remember the 8 seconds mentioned above?  This is when the clock starts ticking. . .you have to allow your buyers to mentally move into your home in their mind.  Take down your family photos, put shoes away in a closet and put the mail from last week that you haven’t had time to open in a drawer.

Light sells homes, are your curtains too dark or heavy that they rob your home of valuable light?  Every time you leave your home during a showing, make sure the blinds are open and the curtains are pulled back which will brighten the buyer’s opinion of your home.  Are the trees or shrubs overgrown, thus making your rooms dark and dreary?  Have them trimmed.

The kitchen is the most important room in the house.  But don’t do an expensive remodel just to sell your home because you will never get your money back.  Instead, clean, clean, clean!  Clear out all the clutter!  Put appliances in cabinets, make sure your sink and countertops have been wiped down, don’t leave out dirty dishes.  If necessary, put a fresh coat of paint on the cabinets or replace the drawer pulls.

The bathroom is the second most important room in the house and the same rules apply.  Clear out the clutter!  Put your personal items under the sink and always keep it clean!

Buyers want peace and serenity when they walk into a bedroom.  A made bed and a clutter free room scream peace and quiet while a messy room looks small and feels chaotic!

These changes don’t cost a lot of money but will add value to your home and help it sell faster.  Call me and I can offer more personalized suggestions to getting your home ready, set, SOLD!