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How To Get Your Home Ready To Sell

How To Get Your Home Ready To Sell

A home is the most important purchase most consumers will make in their lifetimes. It is a major investment which offers significant benefits but also requires a certain amount of upkeep and maintenance which becomes especially important when you get ready to sell your home. There will often be a large amount of other homes on the market at any given time so it is important to make your house stand out from the rest by highlighting curb appeal and exciting prospective buyers who may be interested in purchasing your home.

First and foremost it is important to present the best side of your home to any prospective home buyers when they first approach the property. When a real estate agent first pulls into the driveway what do you want them to notice? Are there weeds in the yard or is the lawn overgrown? Is there any kind of flaking or chipping paint or other weathered surfaces? Are there broken shingles on the roof or leaves sticking out of gutters? Any aspect of the house's exterior which immediately draws attention in a negative fashion should be the first items addressed by the homeowner.

The quickest and least expensive thing which can be done to spruce up the exterior is to give a thorough once over to the landscaping. Trimming bushes and cutting the lawn more often than normal will give the impression of a properly maintained exterior which will impress visitors. It is also good to add splashes of color by planting inexpensive flowers to help draw attention to the landscaping. Power washing the driveway to remove grime and tire marks and brighten the driveway will make the home seem newer than it actually is.

With the exterior of the home of squared away and presentable to prospective home buyers it is time to move to the interior. It is important when a prospective buyer walks in to your home that they're able to view themselves in the residence. To that end, be sure to remove or store away all personal items such as family photos as it may detract from their ability to view the home as there future residence. While this may seem cold and impersonal, too many mementos and sentimental affects will make the house look too lived in and dampen the prospective buyers ability to view themselves living in the house. It is also common in today's consumer driven society to have inordinate amounts of furniture and other knickknacks scattered around the home. It is sometimes recommended by staging experts to remove as much as 50% of the homes current furniture and other household items. Ideally a home would be empty but at a minimum it shouldn't feel cluttered or claustrophobic.

The most common sense recommendation any real estate agent will tell prospective home sellers is to clean the house thoroughly. Most homeowners who place their houses on the market often do not do a thorough job cleaning the house before hand. It is often not good enough to clean it as you normally would. It may be best to hire cleaning professionals to do chores a home owner normally won't such as scrubbing baseboards and moving furniture. Once the house is thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom take the opportunity to repair any minor defects or other imperfections which could detract from the viewing experience. Bring in family and friends to thoroughly look over the house with you to catch any items you may have missed.

Homes just like cars not only have a lived in look and feel but also often have odors resulting from day-to-day living. If you own pets be sure to have any carpets thoroughly steam cleaned to remove odors and stains. Also sanitize all furniture using some sort of fabric cleaner. Strategically place mild air fresheners or scented candles in a few places throughout the home to help make the property more welcoming to visitors.

Getting your home ready to sell doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming but does require a high level of attention to detail. Big things such as repairing exterior damage or replacing a dead tree are often caught by most homeowners. It's the little things that sellers miss which prospective home buyers don't which could adversely affect your ability to sell your home in a timely manner. Go over the interior and exterior of the property with a fine tooth comb and a white glove test and prospective buyers will take note of the extra effort.

Image by: Sherwood CC