Preparing to Sell Your Home - Your Key to Success!

 

In a visual world of online listings, it is so very important to show buyers how your home will best fit their needs and how rooms would function for them.

We hope you find this checklist helpful in preparing to present your home in the best light possible. Our goal is to make your selling experience seamless.  

 

√ Checklist

Give it curb appeal – these are some of the biggest factors in curb appeal. Make sure your home is attractive upon approach and when viewed from the street. The first impression is a lasting one!

• Landscaping: add flowers or flowering plants, use colorful pots or containers, add some garden art or lighting and be sure to control weeds, trim those bushes

• Front Entrance: be sure the house number is clearly visible, the pathway to the entry door is clean and clear, add a new welcome mat(s), make sure outside lighting is in working order and clean (cobwebs and dust need to go)

• Mailbox: replace if dented, broken, faded, etc.

• Paint or Siding: does the front entry door need a fresh coat of paint. Is the paint on the house peeling, is the siding damaged or faded? Does the house need to be pressure washed?

• Driveway: Your driveway is a big part of the look of your home’s exterior, and therefore may require some attention so that buyers don’t see additional dollar signs they will need to spend.

• Fix any faults – what you might consider a minor item will be looked at as an added cost to a home buyer. Most home buyers want a move-in ready home.

• Fixtures: repair/replace missing or damaged fixtures

• Floor/Counter Tiles: replace cracked, damaged or missing tiles

• Holes: repair and repaint any wall(s) with holes or damage

• Leaky Faucets: it may be time to replace any leaky faucets

• Doors: repair doors that don’t close properly including kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors. Replace door knobs if worn.

• Kitchen/Bathroom Drawers: repair any that jam

• Declutter and clean – You want buyers to focus on how awesome your space is, not how messy it looks; remove clutter from every room in your home.

• Personal Items: those family photos, collectibles, knick-knacks, kids’ artwork on the frig, etc. should be packed away and stored

• Closets: thin out what's in them as much as possible, replace clear bins with opaque ones, make sure all the hangers match, keep the floors as clear as possible, remove all dry cleaning bags, organize the clothes by color and remove anything too “personal”. Leave out only those shoes, coats and bags you absolutely need. Storage space is a huge selling point, and if your closets are stuffed to the brim, buyers will think you don’t have enough of it

Décor – keep it simple. To help buyers imagine themselves in your space, get rid of any art or other décor that might turn off people with different tastes The more personal stuff in your house, the less potential buyers can imagine themselves living there.

• Purpose: buyers need to visualize how they can use a room themselves. So, for that spare room you’ve been using for a variety of things, pick a use (office, guest room, crafts room) and clearly stage the space to showcase that purpose.

• Furniture: remove furniture that doesn’t fit well into a space. A cramped room appears smaller than it is. This is where less is best

• Repaint walls: use neutral colors

• Artwork: add some art to walls where family photos may have hung

• Color: add a few pops of color to each room

Update your bathroom – Although the bathroom isn’t the center of the home, buyers do factor every space into their decision. A clean, uncluttered bathroom will reflect on the overall impression a buyer leaves with. And you certainly don’t want a dirty, cluttered bathroom (especially the master!) to be the reason a buyer walks away.

• Remove: personal items that may distract buyers, such as hair brushes, makeup on the counter, toothbrushes, toothpaste and toothbrush holders, lotions, jewelry, bathroom mats and toilet covers, items cluttering the floor (scale, plunger, etc.)

• Bathroom Hardware: update hardware so faucets and other fixtures match; swap out any dated fixtures. Be sure the toilet isn’t running, etc.

• Mirror: replace if clouded, or damaged

• Towel Bars and TP Holder: make sure they match, are in good condition and are firmly anchored

• Vanity & Linen closet: take time to clean, neaten and organize. Make sure they are only half to two-thirds full and well organized You know, buyers will be peeking in both and you want the bathroom storage to appear sufficient.

• Color, Décor and Lighting: make sure the wall paint color, art and décor on the walls are neutral. Add a small leafy plant (a nice artificial is fine) or fresh flowers to make it feel calm and inviting. Make sure all lighting fixtures and bulbs and in good order, update or upgrade if needed

• Shower/Tub: refresh the caulking around the shower/tub if needed, make sure the shower glass isn’t foggy, the tub or shower are clear of razors, damp loofahs, lotions, creams, shampoo, etc. Hang a curtain rod high to give more height to the space and update your shower curtain with a lighter, neutral color and buy coordinated towels in shades of white, cream, gray, or taupe,

• Prescriptions and Medications: with strangers coming through your home, you want to put these in a safe place or, at the very least, remove them from your medicine cabinet and hide them away.

Make the most of natural light – Light colors and light weight fabrics both help to preserve natural light. Lighter paint colors will make your room feel lighter. Select a light color that reflects, not absorbs, light.

• Remove heavy or dark curtains: this will instantly add light into your dark rooms.

• Lamps: use a few to spread light evenly around the room instead of relying completely on one overhead light.

Garage: Don’t forget the garage!

• Clean and organize garage space so buyers can visualize their car(s) easily fitting into the garage.

Clean, clean, clean: Nothing will turn a buyer off faster than a dirty home.

• Dust on top of the fan blades, windowsills, frames, baseboards, inside kitchen shelves and medicine cabinets.

• Polish your appliances and faucets

• Give the windows a thorough cleaning, inside and out.

• Clean the walls around light-switch please and doorknobs.

• Clean all floors.