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If you have made the decision to sell your home and will be listing it soon, especially as we continue to experience this challenged market lately, you want your home to sell as quickly as possible and at a price closest to your asking price. By following these tips, you are sure to be successful in your home-selling endeavor, and most likely with an edge over other sellers who may not have taken the time to prepare their property for sale.
Get Your Home Ready So It Shows Its Very Best
Curb appeal is a very important aspect of attracting serious buyers. Beginning with what they see as they drive up, to what their experience is walking up to the front door – as a seller, your greatest opportunity to grab their interest lies in those very first moments. Make sure there are no dirty corners, cobwebs, mildew, stains or other unattractive visible signs of neglect that will catch prospective buyers’ eyes.
Tip: Pressure-wash the area, clean up weeds, add shine to pavement blocks with some sealant, make sure the storm door is in good shape and that the door bell operates.
Clean, Mark-Free Walls and Windows Are Essential
Regardless of whether you are still living in the space or the house is vacant, it’s important to have the house cleaned and devoid of all marks and blemishes. Windows and glass should be clean and smudge-free. Walls should be without any scuffmarks, moving dents or other signs of wear and tear.
Tip: Hire a cleaner to clean the house, the bathrooms, fixtures, kitchen, appliances, floors, walls and windows -- patch up dents in the wall and apply a fresh coat of paint throughout the home.
Address Aged Aspects of the Home
If you have some areas with older appliances, tiles with loose grout or any other things that need some updating, try to do so before putting up the house for sale. Without taking on too large an expense, do make an effort to make the home presentable.
Tip: Clean grout on older tiles, have loose tiles re-grouted, and freshen up shower stalls and bathtubs with new caulking.
Don’t Ignore Hard-To-Reach Areas
Pool cages are often ignored within a home because homeowners cannot easily access the insides where mold and mildew can accumulate. Cleaning the pool cage will make all the difference when a buyer walks through the home and imagines their family using the space.
Tip: Pressure-wash the inside of pool cages for a quick, bright spruce up.
The Home Should Be Warm and Inviting
Depending on where you are located, keep the temperate of the home at a comfortable level. If it is too hot or cold, buyers will leave too quickly without getting ample time to walk through, see all the features and visualize themselves in the home. If the home is still occupied, cook a pot of apples and cinnamon on the stove a few hours before the showing, so there is an inviting aroma throughout the house.
Tip: In the summers, keep the air conditioning on at a comfortable 68 to 70 degrees. In winters, leave the heating on at about 73 or 74 degrees.
Exterior Aesthetics Are Also Important
Pay attention to overgrown shrubs, trees, flowerbeds and hedges. When the outside of a home looks unkempt it can give off a false impression of the rest of the home too. You want your prospective buyers to see the home and fall in love at first sight – and that begins from the exterior.
Tip: Make sure grass is watered, fresh and green. Clean up your lawn and driveway area. Trim overgrown trees and vegetation, add some mulch or decorative rocks and flower pots for some color. Decks should be stained.
Get a Second Opinion
Since you are used to the environment in the house, you may have turned a blind eye to some aspects of the home without even realizing it. If you can ask someone to walk through the home and make a note of any issues that may be visible then before the showing you can get an additional perspective on how the house presents. Heed that person’s advice as much as possible and repair or address the issues that are brought up.
Tip: Request a close friend, family member or your listing agent to walk through the home once you have prepared it for showing and provide a list of any issues or concerns that need addressing.
