Preparing Your Home for Selling

The first thing a potential buyer sees when coming to view your home is the front and perhaps side yards and the exterior of the house.&= nbsp; A mowed and trimmed lawn and weeded garden can create a good first impression. Shutters, windows, front door, steps and garage doors should be in good condition. If the house needs painting it wou= ld be good to have it painted before putting it on the market. All this will give your home ̶= 0;Curb Appeal” which contributes to creating a good first impression and is = an essential element in selling your home.

Rooms should be neat= and clean and free of clutter. Ge= t rid of items you don’t need or use. Remove unnecessary furniture to help make each room appear more spac= ious. Buyers will open closets and cupbo= ards, so make sure they are as tidy as possible.

Make repairs to brok= en items that are easily fixable such as loose doorknobs, dripping faucets and squeaky doors. These items ca= n get the buyer’s attention and detract from your property’s true value. Making needed repairs = now can eliminate a buyer’s objections later.

Consider a home inspection. A pre-listing inspection can help prepare you for issues you may not even know exist; they then can be addressed lo= ng before they become a roadblock to the closing. It can also help = you obtain the asking price. In a buyers' market, it helps to eliminate a= ny item that might be considered a negotiable point.

Make sure your home doesn’t have any strong odors that can send potential buyers running = out the door. Pets would be one m= ajor source of these type odors. S= ince we get accustomed to odors we are subjected to over time, have a friend give you an honest evaluation and remove or reduce any pet odors by shampooing carpets, or removing soiled furniture.&nbs= p; A musty or moldy smell could lead a buyer to think there is a water problem. If you move prior to selling your home and it is going to be vacant for a period of time, leave = the heat or air conditioning set to minimize these types of odors. Saving on the utility bill by shut= ting down the heat and A/C could cost you a sale.

You may have heard t= he advise of baking some brea= d or cookies just before an open house or buyer walk through. Well this really does work and is = much more effective than an overly strong scent of air freshener, however since = baking may not be practical before every showing, you may opt to run a sliced fresh lemon through the garbage disposal for a clean scent.

REFRESHING YOUR HOME –

Buyers look at a lot of homes. So how do you make sure a home is memorable to a bu= yer? Having a well-staged home is now the rule rather than the exception for a faster sell and a better price. Try to think beyond the obvious for ways to make the entire home feel updated and inspired.

A fresh coat of paint on worn walls provides a “wow” factor witho= ut excessive cost or effort. While this isn’t new news, something that t= ends to get overlooked (and can have just as much impact) is painting the trim a= nd other accents that may have gotten scuffed or dingy over the years. Freshly painted trim work is cleaner and a healthy home environment is very appeali= ng to buyers.

Hardware is a quick fix as well. Switching out knobs and pulls in the kitchen or bath will catch the eye and revive an entire room. Taking it a step further to update faucets, light fixtures and even switch plates can take a space from ordinary to inspiring. Area rugs, lamps and plants are also quick ways to a= dd life and warmth to a room with the convenience of portability. Because they= are easily changeable, updating “unattached” items can instantly modernize a space with a fresh style.

And don’t forget first impressions-exactly how fast are prospective buyers driving past the home? No brake lights? A quick tap and then accelerate? Or= do they come to a full stop to get a better look? That fresh, new interior will never be revealed if the curb appeal of the exterior is blasé. Every= thing from container gardening and clean welcome mats to new storm doors and shut= ters can pull that buyer into your drive.

Artistic staging can showcase the best features in a home. But in today’s mark= et, take a refreshing approach-go that extra mile and look for ways to make the home memorable to a potential buyer.

When we visit your home to provide a Home Value Analysis or prepare a listing, we take a walk-through to provide you with suggestions and tips that will make your home stand out and appeal to potential buyers.

So call today and let’s get started.&nb= sp; 205-612-8496