Tips For Preparing & Showing Your Home To Sell

Sellers often underestimate the effect that small details can have on the appeal of their home. A minor makeover can improve the home’s general “wow” appeal, making it sell faster, or even for a greater price.

1 Use Curb Appeal to Achieve A Quick House Sale

Without a doubt, first impressions count and can be the deciding factor in whether you achieve a quick house sale or not. The idea behind curb appeal is to allow potential buyers to imagine how it will feel living in your house. Here are a few ideas of how you can create the right image for your property:

• Take a good look at your home and try to imagine how it looks to someone seeing it for the first time. Taking photographs is a good idea as it allows you to see what you may not have noticed before.
• Windows and doors are crucial to the overall look of your home, so clean, polish, paint or replace the front door if necessary and clean all windows so that they sparkle.
• Power washing or a new coat of paint will make the walls of your house more appealing and cleaning mildew stains from gutters, paths and behind plants improves the look of your home.
• Fences and gates should be clean and painted if necessary and importantly perform the job they were made for, to open and close.
• Garden furniture adds to decorative value, but needs to be in good repair and freshly stained or painted. Also ensure all water features like ponds; birdbaths and fountains are clean and working properly.
• Make sure driveways are clean and free of cracks and weeds and as people buy house in all seasons.
• Prune trees and shrubs, cut back any limbs touching the house and rake up fallen leaves. If you can afford to stock the flowerbeds then this adds to the curb appeal of your home and lawns should be cut and even reseed if necessary.

None of this need cost a fortune but it will make your house far more appealing to potential buyers and make them want to make your house their home.

2 First Impressions Do Count

• Tidy up your front entrance.
• If it is at all worn, paint or replace your front door.
• Consider pet or food smells in your home and do your best to make them pleasant (see rule #4 below).

Important Updates

• Replace faded, peeling or torn wallpaper.
• Repair or replace worn woodwork.
• Paint a neutral color over walls that look old or were previously painted too boldly.

3 Brighten It  Up

• A dark home just isn’t as inviting, so open the curtains and blinds.
• Turn on all lights during evening showings.
• Replace any steamed up double pane windows or old-looking tinted windows.

4 Simple Repairs Can Make a Difference

• When a buyer sees things that need fixing, they see dollar signs, and begin to wonder what else might need work that they can’t see. Be sure to repair any loose knobs, sticking doors and windows, warped cabinet drawers, broken light switches and other minor flaws. These defects detract from the value of the house.

5 Clear the Clutter

• Remove all unnecessary articles from your closets and garage. Spacious rooms and large storage spaces are a great selling feature.
• Consider having a garage sale to dispose of unwanted items.
• Look into renting storage for larger items or boxes of things you aren’t ready to part with but don’t use every day. Include your favorite trinkets and excess ornaments. They won’t have the same sentimental value to potential buyers and only distract from your home.
• Look around your home to determine where you can reduce a cluttered appearance.

6 Safety First

• Keep stairways and hallways clear.
• Don’t overload electrical outlets.

7 Clean It Until It Shines

• Clean windows and appliances.
• Steam clean or replace carpets.
• Glue back any peeling wallpaper.
• Remove ashtrays and throw out the trash. Give the buyer the impression that your home has been well maintained.

8 Nice Bathrooms Sell Homes

• Check and repair caulking in bathtubs and showers.
• Clear up any mildew stains.
• Display fresh, clean towels and make the room attractive.
• Spray a light fragrance and make the room pleasant smelling.

9 Arrange Bedrooms Neatly

• Remove excess furniture.
• Make the beds with clean, attractive bedspreads.
• Consider laundering the curtains.

10 Don’t Cause Controversy

• Not everyone shares your sense of humor or political views. Remove any signs, posters or art that might be controversial or offensive to prospective buyers.
• Neutralize bold and trendy wall colors.

11 Showing – 7 Rules For Maximize Results

Now that your house has been visually staged, here are some well-tested rules geared toward helping your house to show easily and effectively:

Rule #1: Three’s a Crowd
Try to be somewhere other than home during showings. The goal is to have the buyer feel relaxed, and not rushed, when viewing your home. If you are present, they may not be comfortable looking at details or asking questions. Further, it is the Realtor who knows what the buyer is looking for. They are better able to emphasize those key points if you aren’t tagging along.

Rule #2: Keep the Music Down
Having easy-listening or classical music playing in the background adds to the ambiance of your home, but be sure to keep the volume low so that the Realtor and buyer can talk easily.

Rule #3: No Pets Allowed
Keep all pets, pet beds, litter boxes and feeding dishes out of the way-preferably out of the house.

Rule #4: The Fastest Way to a Buyer’s Heart is Through Their Nose
Smells make up an important first impression. Bake cookies or bread, or place cornmeal in a pie plate in a warm oven on the day of the showing. The aroma will make the potential buyer feel welcomed. Be sure to turn off the oven before leaving the house, though.

Rule #5: Have Maintenance Records Available
Have copies of your air-conditioning, heating and water bills for the past 12 months available. Also be ready to show all home improvement and repair bills (e.g. showing when the new roof was put on and when a new water heater was installed).

Rule #6: Keep Quiet
Let your REALTOR® discuss price, terms, possession and other factors with the buyers. Your agent is qualified to bring negotiations to a favorable conclusion.

Rule #7: A Little Money Goes a Long Way
Cooperating with suggested home beautification tips and cosmetic repairs will increase a buyer’s interest in your home. Remember that making these improvements increases your home’s value and helps to close the sale more quickly.

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