Prepare Your Home for Sale

When selling your home, you want it to sell quickly and at top dollar. Sound good? Well, its going to take some work for that to happen. In about a week or so, there are steps to take as a seller to prepare your home and make it more desirable to potential buyers. Below is how to prepare and make your home a more marketable property. 

The first step is to separate yourself from your home. Come to the realization that it will no longer be your home it is just a house. You need to emotionally remove yourself and be excited about the next home you are moving into. Once the goodbyes are complete, its back to business!

Start packing up personal items such as photos or family memorabilia. You do not want to distract potential buyers with your personal items. You want buyers to envision their own personal items in the home, their pictures hanging on the walls, their family treasures on the mantle, etc.

Once the personal stuff is gone, it is time to de-clutter the house. (For tips on de-cluttering please see my previous blog post). Pack up knickknacks, clean off all counters, pack away small items that aren’t being used. This will also help save time when you start packing the house up for good.

After you de-clutter the home, its time to organize. When buyers see an organized house, it says that you probably took great care for the rest of the house too. Buyers are going to be checking out storage space in the home so be sure to organize kitchen cabinets and closets. Neatly stack dishes, arrange cups and bowls so they fit nicely in the cabinets. Also line up shoes and bags in your closets and make sure clothing is hung properly.

When the little stuff is done, move on to the large stuff- furniture. Home shows work better with less furniture, too many pieces of furniture can make the home look cramped and cluttered. Make sure nothing is blocking walkways in the home. Rent a storage unit to hold the extra furniture pieces. Leave enough furniture to showcase the purpose of each room.

Next step, remove and/or replace favorite items. Anything that you plan on taking with you (i.e. light fixtures, built-in appliances, etc.) bring those to the storage unit now. If a buyer doesn’t see it, the buyer won’t want it.

Time to get handy- make minor repairs to things such as cracked tiles, leaky faucets, and squeaky doors. Also if you have eccentric colored walls, you may want to consider painting them a neutral color.

Sparkle and shine! Time to get cleaning. Clean and air out any rooms that may have a musty smell. Dust furniture, light fixtures, ceiling fans, etc. Wash windows and mirrors, wash, wax and vacuum all floors. Clean out the refrigerator and other major appliances. Spray down exterior and walkways/decks. Mow the lawn and trim bushes. Paint faded window trim. Any small improvement will make a big difference in the long run.

Now, get working to prepare your home!