For Sellers

Getting Your House Ready to Sell

Start With an Educated, Professional Agent. We hope you’ve found one.

The more you're willing to do to help sell your home, the more you can help speed the sales process and perhaps pocket more money.

De-Clutter

You may have personal possessions that you no longer need or want. Now’s the time to reduce clutter. Hold a yard sale, donate your stuff to charity, give it away or just throw it out.

Start Packing

Start boxing up any items that you want to keep, but won’t be using before moving day.

Identify your home’s flaws or problems

Sellers are obligated to disclose any major problems or flaws in the home, including things like mold, termites, asbestos, or a new highway to be built nearby. If you fail to mention things like a leaky roof, you could be liable and could possibly be sued. There’s no upside in trying to hide problems anyway since most buyers will have the home inspected before closing.

Home Appeal

buying a home for many people is a sensory and emotional experience. Anything you can do to improve that experience can help you get your house sold.

Drive-up Appeal—

  • Trim trees and shrubs
  • Remove or replace any dead or dying trees, hedges, or shrubs
  • Clean out flower beds and invest in a few flats of colorful flowers
  • Paint the front door
  • Make sure doorbell is working properly
  • Wash the mailbox
  • Keep the porch swept
  • Get an attractive welcome mat for people to wipe their feet
  • Touch up your house’s exterior paint
  • Be sure that all gutters and downspouts are in place and clean
  • Replace missing roof shingles and broken or cracked windows

Interior Basics

  • Start by airing out the home- Most people are turned off by even the smallest odor. Odors must be eliminated, especially if you have dogs, cats or young children in diapers or if you are a smoker.
  • Wash all the windows in the house, inside an out
  • Clean the carpets. Bare floors should also be waxed or polished
  • Put bright light bulbs in every socket made for a bulb. Buyers like bright and cheery homes
  • Clean out closets, cabinets and drawers
  • Get everything off the floor and don’t have the shelves piled to the ceiling
  • Make sure there is not too much furniture in a room. Select pieces that look best, and put others in the garage or storage
  • Go over the kitchen like a health inspector. Clean the oven, range (new drip pans) and the seal of the dishwasher door
  • Bathtubs, showers and sinks should be freshly caulked. The grout should be clean and in good condition.
  • Fix drippy faucets and running toilets: If any of your sinks or bathtubs drain slowly, unclog them
  • Keep clutter off kitchen counters and remove dirty dishes from the sink
  • Make cosmetic improvements: Painting isn’t expensive if you do it yourself- and avoid bold colors with strong visual impact
  • Make sure hinges and knobs are tightened and doors close properly.

More Staging Tips

  • Kitchen: Aromas from fragrant goodies like freshly baked gingerbread or just-brewed coffee bring back wonderful memories of home
  • Bathrooms: Always have fresh towels in bathrooms. Buy new shower curtains. Put new soap in the soap dishes
  • Clear everything off your refrigerator: Most folks use magnets or tape to stick everything from vacation snapshots and finger-painting masterpieces.
  • Comfort: Keep your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer. A house that’s too hot or too cold isn’t inviting
  • Flowers: Vases of colorful, fresh flowers spotted throughout the house make a wonderful impression on prospective buyers
  • Depersonalize: Put your family photos in storage. You’re moving – give the new owners a chance to feel like your house could be theirs.

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