A Guide To Preparing Your Home to Sell!
Do you have big plans to sell your home this year? Preparing your home for the market is a vital step to getting top dollar for your home and selling it in a short time frame! Here is a practical guide to getting your house ready to sell in the next 30 days!
Curb Appeal
Stand at your sidewalk and take a good look all around the exterior of your home. See if your home needs….
- Power wash the exterior and deck
- Paint the shutters and trim, front door and door frames
- Pull weeds in the yard and clean them up and trim the bushes, add mulch and plant flowers
- Edge your sidewalks and driveway
It is also a good idea to drive around the neighborhood and see what others are doing to make their home beautiful and eye catching.
Paint
One of the most cost-effective value when selling your home is paint. You may love the bright green paint in your bedroom but not everyone else will agree. A fresh coat of paint does not cost that much but makes a BIG IMPRESSION!
- Remove wallpaper and borders
- Freshen up paint in neutral colors, paint trim and baseboards to give it a clean, crisp feel
- Painting pieces of furniture may also give you an updated modern feel
Here is a before and after photos of a bathroom with fresh neutral paint:
Clutter Free
One of the best places to start with increasing the value, and the desirability, of your home when selling is with the elimination of clutter. We need to showcase the amount of space that you and not give the appearance that you are overcrowded.
- Removing some of your personal photos and kids artwork will help potential home buyers visual living in your home
- Organize the clothes in your closets
- Put away kid toys in a neat and organized manner and put extra belongings in storage
- Counter and bathroom vanities need to be organized and tidy to maximize the amount of space that you have
- Clear off the front and sides of the refrigerator
A clutter-free house will make your house feel larger and open, resulting in added appeal to potential buyers.
Spic and Span
Give your home a thorough cleaning inside and out!
- Clean everything from ceiling fans, floors, bathroom vents, front porch area and more
- Remove cobwebs and debris from the front porch, corners inside the house, etc.
- Wipe down walls, baseboards and doors
- Clean windows and mirrors so they look shiny and new
- Have your carpets professionally cleaned unless you are replacing the flooring
Remember……you only get ONE FIRST IMPRESSION!
Updates
It’s best to do these things NOW rather than after the inspector has gone through and then you’re under a time crunch to make the repairs to sell your home.
- Regrout around sinks and tubs
- Replace all dimming or burnt out light bulbs throughout the house; closets; attic, basement, exterior, etc.
- Replace the old towel bars and update the old faucets in the kitchen and bathrooms
- If you have any dripping faucets or leaking hose bibs hire a plumber to repair those items
- Maybe you need to have your furnace and A/C serviced and cleaned or replace the furnace filter
- Do you have a septic tank? Has it been pumped in the past few years? It may be wise to go ahead and have this done
- Replace broken or cracked windows and replace screens
Roll Out The Welcome Mat
Once you feel you’re home is ready to put on the market for sale, do a walk through of your whole house and yard. And lastly, try getting a second opinion. Have a friend walk through the home with you and point out anything you may have missed. It’s time to roll out the welcome mat and sell your home!
When you are ready to meet with a Real Estate Professional we would love to interview for the job of selling your home! Contact us to get started: [email protected] | 765.404.5095 | The Romanski Group | KW
Serving Lafayette and West Lafayette Indiana, Carroll, Clinton, White, Benton and Howard counties!
