DE-CLUTTER
Rent a storage unit if you have to. Try to look at your home through the eyes of a buyer. That
stack of stuff in the corner that you are so used to looking at needs to be removed. If your home is small and or
crowded consider rearranging or removing furniture . The exercise equipment that you never use - Store It! Accessories
are wonderful and should remain in moderation. Go to some model homes and see how they look. They have accessories, but nothing
is overdone. Closets should be uncluttered also. Remove out of season clothes and give all those things you no longer need to charity.
Stack things neatly on shelves.
OR ADD - if your furnishings are sparse, borrow some pictures for the walls, cover the beat up sofa with a throw and bring in a flower arrangement. Just use common sense, make your home look the best you can.
Getting your home ready to show and sell can make the difference between a quick sale and a long market time. Setting the stage
may or may not get you more money but it can reduce the time it takes your home to sell, which in-directly saves you money.
The same goes for the kitchen - sparkling faucet, clean shiny sink, cabinet fronts should be wiped down or cleaned, replace drip pans
on the range. Wash all light switches, we don't realize how the fingerprints collect on these. Go through your home room
by room and make sure everything has been cleaned, even the utility room and furnace.
MAKE MINOR REPAIRS
That dripping faucet
or toilet that won't quit running may just be a quick 10 minute repair but left alone can become a concern for the buyer. "Maybe
there is a plumbing problem" , "we better offer less" or "there is too much deferred maintenance in this house" are typical
comments from buyers.
Touch up paint or paint a whole room if needed. The drawings your kids made on the wall will
not be considered art by potential buyers. Touch up woodwork where needed. The scratches your dog made on the door (or worse
chewed the woodwork) should all be fixed and painted. Re-caulk tubs and showers.
MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Paint your front
door. Sweep away leaves, cobwebs etc. I can't stress this enough, potential buyers are already deciding if they like your home
while waiting for the REALTOR or homeowner to unlock the door.