ENHANCING THE SALABILITY OF YOUR HOME
The home you are selling is different from the home in which you live. In order to make your home as appealing to prospective buyers as possible, it will be necessary to evaluate your home’s exterior, interior, and landscaping from the buyer’s perspective. The following are suggestions to assist you in stepping back and evaluating your home, as prospective buyers will.
CURB APPEAL
Prospective buyers will get a feeling about your home well before they enter it. As they drive down your street and park in front of the house they will begin to form their impressions based on what they see.
• Store lawn equipment out of sight • Arrange firewood and outdoor furniture neatly • Clean out and organize the garage • Attend to your rain gutters: clean out debris, tough up with paint and realign if necessary. • Check the roof for shingles or flashing in need of replacing. • Repair and wash windows and screens • Examine the entryways to your home. Clean, stain, or paint the front, back, and garage doors if faded or in need of repair. • Paint window sashes, trim, and shutters. Repaint entire exterior if the paint is blistering or peeling. • Replace faded house numbers. Add brass accents such as a doorknob, knocker, or kick-plate. • Repaint or replace mailbox if necessary. • Test the entry lights and the doorbell. • Park camper, boat, or extra vehicles away from the house.
LANDSCAPING
• Spruce up your front yard with some color by planning flowers in flowerbeds, next to the foundation or in pots near the front door.
• Keep the lawn mowed and free of weeds
• Remove dead limbs and debris
• Sweep the sidewalks and driveway. Patch any holes.
• Walk your fence line and make any needed repairs. Repaint if necessary.
INTERIOR
As you consider the interior of your home, concentrate on creating as much open space as possible. In anticipation of your move, begin to pack away personal items. Depersonalizing your home will allow protective buyers to visualize their own belongings in the home. Strive for an uncluttered, clean look.
• Thoroughly clean your home: polish mirrors, organize closets to make them look bigger, pack out of season clothing, remove as many items as possible, neatly arrange what remains.
• Pack knickknacks, family photos, awards, trophies, etc.
• Clean all surfaces. Not only must the house look clean, it must smell clean.
• Increase the illumination in your house. Install higher intensity light bulbs in every lamp to create a warmer, brighter feeling.
• Brighten each room with fresh paint. Choose light, neutral colors to make rooms appear larger and brighter. Neutral paint and carpet will help buyers envision their furnishings in the home.
• Store excess furniture to make rooms appear larger. Arrange remaining furniture so that rooms appear spacious.
• Clean or replace carpeting.
• Make minor repairs: tighten loose doorknobs, drawer and cabinet handles, towel racks, switch plates, and outlet covers.
• Repair a leaky roof and paint ceiling stains.
• Tack down loose molding, glue lifted wallpaper and replace cracked switch plates.
• Fix sticking doors and windows, squeaky doors, wobbly stair banisters, and leaky faucets. Repair any insect damage. Spray to rid house of insects well ahead of your showing to allow time for pesticide smell to dissipate.
• Fill litter box with fresh litter and clean the box frequently.
• Appeal to multiple senses of the buyer during showings by placing fresh flowers, baking bread, playing soft music, or lighting lightly scented candles.
KITCHEN AND BATHROOMS
• Remove small appliances, canisters and knickknacks from kitchen counters. Make counters appear as expansive as possible.
• Organize the inside of cabinets, drawers, pantry, and other built-in storage areas so they look clean and spacious.
• Clean the oven and all appliances.
• Polish all chrome.
• Clean wood cabinets and coat them with wood polish.
• Polish the tub, toilet, and sinks. Clean all tile grout and re-grout if necessary.
• Install a new shower curtain if necessary.