Market Your Home

Prepare the Home for Sale

There is no need to spend a great deal of money remodeling your home before selling. However, a few key improvements to ensure your home shows well in relation to your competitors may result in a quicker home sale, and a potentially higher price. Prospective buyers warm to homes they can visualize themselves living in.
The exterior of your home makes the first impression and should always be well-kept so interested buyers passing by will call your agent for a showing.

Curb Appeal

• Keep your front entrance well maintained, repaint the door, replace old house numbers, and check to make sure the doorbell works.
• Repaint or replace stair railings, the mailbox, and other exterior features.
• Repair cracked or crumbling foundation, steps, walkways, walls, and patios.
• Landscape the yard as needed, make sure garden beds are well defined and freshly mulched, the lawn cut and sufficiently watered, hedges trimmed, and trees pruned.
• Pick up and properly store garden tools, toys, newspapers, and other potential clutter.
• Sweep front walkway and clean up after your pets.
• Inspect exterior surfaces for peeling paint and/or loose attachment to the house and keep the windows free of spider webs and vines.
• Keep shutters in good condition, freshly painted and hung straight.
• Clean, align, and secure the gutters and inspect and clean the chimney.
• Repair or replace loose or damaged roof shingles as well as loose siding and caulking.

Prior to realtor previews, buyer showings, and open houses, pay close attention to interior details as well.

Walk into Something Wonderful

• Thoroughly clean each room of your home, washing the windows inside and out, cleaning the carpets, and washing the walls.
• If the walls and carpet are especially dingy or brightly colored, repaint or re-carpet with a neutral shade, such as off-white or beige.
• Pick up clutter, toys, shoes, and clothing - make your house appear roomier and more welcoming.
• Repair cracks, holes or damage to plaster, wallboard, wallpaper, paint, and tiles.
• Replace broken or cracked windowpanes, moldings, and other woodwork.
• Inspect and repair the electrical, plumbing, heating, cooling, and alarm systems.
• Spruce up the kitchen and bathrooms, repairing dripping faucets and showerheads, re-caulking showers or tubs if necessary. Decorate the area with new cabinet knobs, curtains, and towels. Place dirty dishes in the dishwasher and empty wastebaskets.
• Repair any roof leaks or standing water in basement and any area that may show evidence of dry rot.
• Make sure every electrical outlet and light switch is in working order, replacing all light bulbs with the maximum wattage bulb permissible. Also, open drapes and shades. Light sells!
• Dust all fixtures and vacuum carpets and floors. Also, straighten rugs and throw pillows, and make all beds.
• Open windows slightly to freshen rooms, keeping pets out of the way and making sure the house is free of these and other potential odors.
• Set an ambiance in your home by turning off the TV and playing soft background music, and preparing tables with flowers, place settings or coffee table books.

When showing your home, secure jewelry, cash, prescription medications, and other valuables. Also, it’s best to leave while your house is being shown.