Home Selling Tips

Before you hire a real estate professional to sell your home, you will need to prepare your home to look it’s very best. See your home in the eyes of a new home buyer seeing your home for the very first time. You only have one chance to make a first impression.

As real estate professionals, we have witnessed that the homes that sell for top dollar are homes that are “move-in” ready. The longer a home sits on the market, the greater the risk of “lowball” offers. Most home buyers don’t want to worry about big projects when they move in. There is also a risk of a home buyer jumping out of escrow because they found a better home. Here are some helpful ideas to improve your home’s interior and exterior to help you sell your home faster and potentially raising your pocketbook with higher offers. With these ideas, you will increase your chances of multiple offers, allowing you to choose the most qualified buyer for your home.

Throughout The Home   

1. Remove clutter from each room to visually enlarge the rooms.
2. Add home accents on focal points such as fireplace mantle, bookshelves, coffee table, and end tables such as a decorative vase with flowers, sconces, or candles. Decorative wall hangings.
3. Add larger plants in transitional areas. Small plants on surfaces, countertops, tables, and shelves.
4. Replace the carpet if it is worn or does not clean up well.
5. Keep your home dusted and vacuumed at all times.
6. Put family photos in storage. This will allow potential buyer to imagine their family in the home.
7. Wash all windows inside and out.
8. Open curtains, pull up shades, and let in sunlight.
9. Keep home at a comfortable temperature. 72° is ideal.
10. Paint interior walls and baseboards a light neutral color to brighten the home and make it look bigger.
11. Change out dead light bulbs, clean and dust lights, and fixtures.
12. Putty and paint over wall nail holes or other wall mishaps.
13. Improve traffic flow by removing unnecessary furniture.
14. Remove or hide extension cords and exposed wires.
15. Remove pet odors and smoking odors at all costs. These are some of the buyer’s biggest complaints.
16. Wipe down handrails, baseboards, banisters and replace if missing or broken.
17. Create a positive mood by turning on lights.
18. Create an inviting mood by adding vanilla or spice scented candles and soft relaxing music.
19. For a clean smell, lightly spray the home with an air freshener before the buyer arrives.
20. Declutter and clean out pantries, linen closets, and closets.
21. Have a family “game plan” to get the home in order quickly for last-minute home showings.

Kitchen Ideas             

Expand your counter space by removing small appliances and dish soap.

Remove pictures and magnets off of the refrigerator for a clean appearance.

Microwave a small dish of vanilla twenty minutes before a showing and place it out of the way.

Highlight an eat-in area in your kitchen with a table setting or a centerpiece.

The kitchen should always look spotless.

 Bedroom Ideas   

Create a master suite effect in your decorating.

Depersonalize bedrooms and decorate in a neutral scheme.

Make sure that beds are made and linens are clean.

Organize your closets, remove unnecessary items, and put them in storage.

Bathroom Ideas

Do not leave used towels around unless they are fresh decorative hand towels.

Remove toothpaste, hairbrush, combs, small bathroom appliances, make-up, and any other personal items.

Wipe down the mirror, medicine cabinets, sinks, shower glass door.

Re-caulk the tub if the caulk is not sparkling white.

Repair or replace broken tiles in the shower/tub.

Replace shower curtains and them clean.

  Exterior Ideas        

Keep the yard mowed and raked at all times.

Use flowering plants to dress up the yard, walkway, and patio.

Remove all toys, bicycles, tools, unsightly patio furniture, and trash from the yard.

Porches, steps, verandas, balconies, patios, and other extensions of the house should be kept uncluttered, swept, and in good condition.

Paint entrance door.

Paint exterior trimming or patio cover if needed.

Make sure the garage door opens properly. Paint and fix if necessary.

Clean all outdoor accessories or hardware, doorknobs, lamps, mailbox, address numbers.

Trim and prune trees and shrubs.

Use a new doormat.

Be sure the doorbell is in working order.

Be sure the front door and screen door works perfectly.