Prepare Your Home for Sale

First impressions are lasting impressions.  Before placing your home on the market for sale, you are competing with all other homes in similar price ranges.  Make sure yours is the one to captivate potential buyers.

Outside Your Home
(the first impression and the window to peak interest)

• Cut and water the lawn every week during the marketing period. Plant flowers.

• Edge the lawn up the driveway and along the sidewalks (front and back) for a finished appearance.

• Trim all shrubbery and remove low lying tree limbs.

• Fertilize your lawn to make the grass look lush and green (but don’t over fertilize or you will burn the grass)

• Replace downed shutters, gutters, downspouts. Remove debris from gutters and downspouts.

• Paint any trim that is blistering.

• Repaint or re-stain the front door to create a pleasant first impression. If a screendoor is in place make sure it shiny clean with good screen and/or clean glass.

• Remove all clutter and put away bicycles, toys, mowers, lawn tools, etc.

• Have your home washed down (there are services that will do this)

 

Inside Your Home

• Pull back curtains and provide plenty of lighting.

• Paint rooms that look fingerprinted, worn or faded.

• Have the wall to wall carpeting and draperies cleaned.

• Fix any dripping faucets. Perhaps only a washer is needed.

• Replace old caulking around the bathtubs. This can be done with one tube of new caulking and a putty knife.

• Spray lubricant on all squeaking doors, windows, closets, & cabinets.

• Remove items from the floor of walk-in closets so that prospects can have easy access.

• Stack all items in the basement and garage against the walls to show maximum space.

• Vacuum the garage, basement, rafters, and all floors.

• If there are too many appliances on the kitchen counters, put them away to expose maximum counter space.

• Pre-pack items which may clutter your home. Extra toys in the children’s room and nick-nacs may actually make rooms appear smaller than they are.

• Clean your home from top to bottom. A professional cleaning service can do this for you.

• Keep the home smelling fresh but not overly scented.