Ten tips to prepare your house for SOLD!

1.     Clean, clean, clean

Make your house and yard shine! First impressions matter, a clean and tidy home and yard sends a positive message to prospective buyers, it indicates that you have maintained and cared for your investment. Clean the windows inside and out, wipe down light switches and walls, remove any cobwebs, dust baseboards, make bathrooms and appliances sparkle!

 

2.     De-clutter

Take the minimalist approach and remember that less is more. Store away knickknacks, everything on the fridge, clear off kitchen counters, in smaller rooms consider removing some furniture to make the room feel larger.  Basically start packing and if you haven’t used it in over a year…get rid of it!

Good rule of thumb: no more than 3 items on each flat surface.

 

3.     De-personalize

Take down family photos and heirlooms, these items can distract buyers and you want them focusing on your property, not your wedding pictures.

 

4.     Paint

A coat of paint can make a huge difference and it’s inexpensive, select neutral modern tones that will appeal to the masses. If you’re not prepared to paint entire rooms, seriously consider doing touch-ups to baseboards and door casings. These areas tend to get hit and chipped over time, these chips can be eye catching and can make your house look rough.

 

5.     Make minor repairs

Now is the time to fix that leaky faucet or the squeaking door that doesn’t close properly. All these little items can send subliminal messages to buyers, minor repairs that aren’t fixed make buyers wonder what else needs to be fixed that they can’t see with the naked eye.

Replace burnt out light bulbs and ensure that all rooms, hallways and entrances are well lit.

 

6.     Yard work

Make your yard look its best. Mow the lawn and cut the edges, remove any weeds or debris, if the deck is looking shabby consider staining or painting it, fix the loose board in the gate, put kids toys away and out of sight.

 

7.     Curb appeal

Stand back and look at your property. Is the house number visible? Is the yard neat and tidy? Does the front door or window trim need a coat of paint? Make your property look as inviting as possible.


8.     Show off storage space

Clean out the closets, the basement, the garage and the garden shed. Buyers can’t see how large your closets are if they are packed full. You may want to consider renting a storage unit to store some items.

 

9.     Atmosphere

Be aware of odors left behind by pets or smokers. Put the litter box out of sight. If you smoke, don’t smoke inside and ensure cigarette butts are out of sight. We have an ionizer that we can put in your home to help neutralize any odors left behind.

If you have dogs try and remove them from the property when it is being shown to prospective buyers. The key is to have buyers focus on your property, not being distracted by your dog barking in the backyard or by the cat trying to escape out the front door.

 

10.  Disassociate

Now that you’re ready to sell, make the mental decision to ‘let go’ of the emotional ties to the property. Focus on the future and envision yourself moving on.