Preparing your Home for Sale

The Way you sell a Home is not the same as the way you live in it

Getting the House Ready

Excerpt from Realtor.com

A house that “sparkles” on the surface will sell faster than its shabby neighbor, even though both are structurally well-maintained. Buyers notice the extent to which a house is prepared for a showing.

In preparing your house for sale consider:

• how much should you spend
• exterior and curb appeal
• preparing the interior

How much should you spend
In preparing your home for the market the idea is to spend as little money as possible. Much is dependent on the condition of your home when you decide to sell. Take an honest look at your home. Make a list of necessary repairs and/or updates. If you can’t be objective allow a third party to do it for you. Working with your budget and your Realtor, Val, you can determine where best to focus your efforts in preparing your home for sale.

Maximizing exterior and curb appeal
Before putting your house on the market, take as much time as necessary (and as little money as possible) to maximize its exterior and interior appeal.

• Keep the lawn edged, cut and watered regularly.
• Trim hedges, weed lawns and flowerbeds, and prune trees regularly.
• Check the foundation, steps, walkways, walls and patios for cracks and crumbling.
• Inspect doors and windows for peeling paint.
• Clean and align gutters.
• Inspect and clean the chimney.
• Repair and replace loose or damaged roof shingles.
• Repair and repaint loose siding and caulking.
• In Northern winters, keep walks neatly cleared of snow and ice.
• During spring and summer months consider adding a few showy annuals, perhaps in pots, near your front entrance.
• Re-seal an asphalt driveway.
• Keep your garage door closed.
• Store RVs or old and beaten up cars elsewhere while the house is on the market.
• Apply a fresh coat of paint to the front door.

Maximizing interior appeal
Depersonalize, Declutter, Deodorize, clean and paint are the basics behind the following items:

• Giving every room in the house a thorough cleaning, as well as removing all clutter. It will make your house appear bigger and brighter. Check for unpleasant odors. Move out unnecessary furniture.
• Hiring a professional cleaning service, once every few weeks while the house is on the market. Removing less frequently used, even daily used items from kitchen counters, closets, and attics, making these areas much more inviting. A garage sale can help get rid of certain items.
• If necessary, repaint dingy, soiled or strongly colored walls with a neutral shade of paint, such as off-white or beige. The same neutral scheme can be applied to carpets and linoleum.
• Checking for cracks, leaks and signs of dampness in the attic and basement.
• Repairing cracks, holes or damage to plaster, wallboard, wallpaper, paint, and tiles.
• Replacing broken or cracked windowpanes, moldings, and other woodwork. Inspecting and repairing the plumbing, heating, cooling, and alarm systems.
• Repairing dripping faucets and showerheads. Buy showy new towels for the bathroom bring them out only when prospective buyers are on the way.
• Sprucing up a kitchen in need of more major remodeling by investing in new cabinet knobs, new curtains, or a coat of neutral paint.