Preparing Your Home To Sell

Prepare it

It is so important to make a great first impression once a buyer enters the home for the first time. When a potential buyer walks into a dirty home, they assume that the current owners did not take care of the property. Most buyers will want a move-in ready property that feels like new. A long list of chores and repairs right when they move in will not be appealing and can be daunting to a potential buyer. If needed, we contract professional cleaners and stagers to showcase your home in the best possible way.

Create a Game Plan

-Walk through your home, room by room as if you are a buyer and take notes on what needs to be done

-Consider having a home inspector come and see if anything needs to be repaired

-Have a yard sale and throw out anything you do not need anymore (this will make packing up to move easier, too!)

Repairs to Consider

-Repaint and clean walls. Using light, neutral shades have been shown to be more appealing to potential buyers. In the kitchen paint

baseboards, kitchen cabinets, trim and molding

-Landscape. Add some color with flowers and shrubs Keep the lawn mowed and remove weeds

-Upgrade lighting. Swap out old light bulbs with new brighter bulbs

-Add more lamps and accent lighting to brighten up darker rooms

-Replace old appliances. When buyers know they don't need to replace appliances for years, they have a much easier time saying

"yes to the address"

-Consider renewing floor finishes and replacing old carpets. Flooring is one of the first things a potential buyer will see and can make or

break it for them. Cleaning or renewing your floors can result in a great return

Clean

-Thoroughly clean the entire home, or hire a professional cleaning company to do this

-Steam clean carpets, if stained consider replacing carpet

-Repair all cracks and holes in walls

-Paint all interior walls a neutral color

-Remove any excess furniture

-Organize closets and remove any clothes not in season to show off the space in closets

-De-clutter: stow away any small appliances, knick-knacks, personal items, etc. Remember, less is more!

-Remove valuable items from home like cash or jewelry

Kitchen & Bathrooms

-Mop and polish floors

-Clean appliances and fixtures

-Clean and organize pantry, throw out any old items and show off the storage space

-Replace old caulking

-Remove all stains from sinks, toilets, showers/tubs

-Keep all toilet seat lids closed

-Stow away your personal soaps, hygiene products, medications, etc.

Finishing Touches

-Switch out any lights that need to be replaced

-Throw in some fresh flowers or plants

-Remove personal photographs and items

-Don't forget to tidy up your closets and storage areas – buyers will be looking there too

-Stow away any pet or kids items

-Light a candle

-Wipe down all surfaces and declutter

Curb Appeal

-Paint the home's exterior, trim, doors, and shutters

-Power wash

-Consider sprucing up the front door with a fresh coat of paint, welcome mat and plants

-Inspect the roof

-Sweep the entryways

-Keep lawn mowed and maintained

-Clean up pet droppings

-Clean the gutters and downspouts

-Open windows, let fresh air in and light a scented candle

-Turn all of the lights, open the blinds

Consider Staging

Staging a home is a strategic marketing tool used by sellers to help buyers imagine themselves living in your home and fall in love with their property. Staging is more than just putting a new welcome mat in front of the door and getting new throw pillows - when done correctly it can help a home sell for more money in a shorter amount of time.

83% of real estate agents said staging made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home. 40% of buyers’ agents said that home staging had an effect on most buyers’ view of the home.

*Statistics from the National Association of REALTORS® Research Group, 2019