Prepare your house for sale – Maximize your opportunity

     It is generally true that “spiffing up” your house will help it to sell faster and for a higher price than if it is in disrepair.  Most sellers are constrained in this by time and money.  One of the first things to consider is how much to spend.  Additionally, there are the considerations of curb appeal and readying the interior.

How Much to Spend?

     Spend as little as possible!  There is a big difference between putting on a new roof or   remodeling the kitchen and painting the rooms a neutral color or replacing the knobs on the kitchen cabinets.  Seek the advice of  your Realtor.  Together you can decide on what will give the most bang for your buck.

Curb Appeal

      A house that looks messy on the outside is less inviting than its well cared for counterpart.  It sends a message that the rest of the house may not be well-cared as well. It can put buyers in a negative frame of mind towards  your house before they have even stepped through the front door. On some occasions buyer’s will simply drive by.  To maximize the curb appeal:

• Keep laws edged, cut and watered
• Trim hedges, weed lawns, flowerbeds and prune trees
• Check the foundation, steps, walkways, walls & patios for cracks/crumbling – repair if possible
• Check windows and doors for peeling paint – repair
• Repair/replace loose damage roof shingles
• Repair/repaint loose siding or caulking
• Plant some colorful annuals near your front door – perhaps in pretty pots
• Keep garage door closed
• Store old rundown cars elsewhere while the house is on the market. If an RV overwhelms the front, store it elsewhere. Although an RV that sits comfortably in the driveway with adequate space around it says “extra parking”
• Apply fresh coat of paint to the front door

Interior Spruce Up

     The following are suggestion for enhancing your homes interior:

• Remove clutter.
• Thoroughly clean every room.
• Take down most personal photos.  This helps buyers to imagine themselves living in the home.
• If you have lots of furniture you mght consider renting a storage space for the time of the listing and moving some of it there to create a sleek, stylish look.
• Remove items from the kitchen counters.  Keep them as free from clutter as possible.  Move the coffee pot, toaster, paper towels and other items you keep on your counter to a closet where you can easily access them.
• Keep the bathroom counter as free of personal items as possible.
• Repaint dingy, soiled or strongly colored walls.
• Repair any plumbing leaks, leaky faucets or showerheads.
• Carpet – cosider replacing severely damaged with a neutral color.
• Put new pretty towels in the bathrooms for showing
• Kitchen- consider painting a neutral color and/or new cabinet knobs or curtains.

The list above may seem long and overwhelming but it contains only minimal expense with the exception of the carpet if you decide to replace it.  If you have limited time pick and choose what you are able to do.  Certainly, many houses go on the Market with no preparation.  If you want to set yourself up to succeed by selling for a  good price in the shortest period of time it will be very helpful to prepare your home for sale.

Because it matters…

Advertisement