5 Tips for Prepping Your Home for Sale

1. Maximize your home’s curb appeal. Keep trees and bushes trimmed so that the house isn’t “hidden.” Make sure walkway is clear and vegetation, if any, is trimmed away from it. Pressure wash the driveway, walkway, and porch if necessary. Make sure the front porch is clean and free of clutter. Pay special attention to your front door, cleaning and repainting it if necessary.
2. De-clutter!! Remember this, “Clutter Eats Equity!” Most of us (myself included!) live with a little (or a lot!) of clutter in our daily lives. Probably not a big deal if you aren’t trying to sell your house. However, buyers will associate clutter with a home that hasn’t been well maintained. It will also make any home seem smaller than it is.  De-cluttering also includes your closets.  If you have 5 sweaters, remove 3 of them. Closets need to look as large as possible.
3. Clean and De-Odorize. Just like with clutter, a home that needs a good cleaning will be assumed to be poorly maintained. Consider having it professionally cleaned. Make sure windows and door jambs are clean and sparkeling.  Try to eliminate or control sources of odor (litter boxes, tobacco smoke, etc.) Carpets and drapes can really trap odors, so pay special attention to those. Top agents are fond of saying, “If I can smell it, I can’t sell it.”
4. Pre-Marketing Inspection and Repairs. Most buyers will have a professional home inspector go through your house with a fine-toothed comb during the inspection period. You can avoid unforeseen surprises by having your home inspected prior to marketing it. Some sellers will even make repairs to items noted on the inspection, and provide this information to prospective buyers.
5. Have a thorough market analysis done! Even in a seller’s market, if your home is overpriced, it will take longer to sell, and sell for less than if it were priced correctly to begin with.  A well-priced and professionally marketed home will sell faster, and for more money, than its competition.  For more details, and a complete professional market analysis of your home, call me today!