Preparing Your Home for Sale

Disassociate Yourself from the Home

You are selling this house, which means you will no longer own it. Although you have memories, it’s time to put the memories in the vault for future reference and begin to allow yourself to believe that your home will soon be home to someone else. Say to yourself, “This is not my home; it is a house — a product to be sold much like a box of cereal on the grocery store shelf. Picture yourself handing over the keys and envelopes containing appliance warranties to the new owners! Say goodbye to every room and begin to look toward the future.

De-Personalize and De-Clutter

Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can not see past personal artifacts, and you don’t want them to be distracted. Allow potential buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can’t do that if yours are there! You don’t want to make any buyer ask, “I wonder what kind of people live in this home?” You want buyers to say, “I can see myself living here.” Remove all books from bookcases. Pack up those knickknacks. Clean off everything on kitchen counters. Put essential items used daily in a basket or box that can be retrieved easily for use then stored in a closet or cabinet when not in use. Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do. Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Since your bookcases are now empty, store them. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose and plenty of room to move around. Simplicity is key and you don’t want buyers scratching their heads and saying, “What is this room used for?”

Organize Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets

Buyers love to snoop and will open closet and cabinet doors. Think of the message it sends if items fall out! Now imagine what a buyer believes about you if she sees everything organized. It says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well and they will be more impressed with a home that appears to have been maintained. This means:

• Alphabetize spice jars.
• Neatly stack dishes inside cabinets.
• Turn coffee cup handles facing the same way.
• Hang shirts together, buttoned and facing the same direction.
• Line up shoes.
• Every little detail counts!

Make Necessary Repairs

• Replace cracked floor or counter tiles.
• Patch holes in walls.
• Fix leaky faucets.
• Fix doors that don’t close properly and kitchen drawers that jam.
• Consider painting your walls neutral colors, especially if you have grown accustomed to purple or pink walls. (Don’t give buyers any reason to remember your home as “the house with the orange bathroom.”)
• Replace burned-out light bulbs.
• If you’ve considered replacing a worn bedspread, do so now!
  (Make the House Sparkle)
• Wash windows inside and out.
• Rent a pressure washer and spray down driveway, walkways, sidewalks, patio and exterior.
• Clean out cobwebs – inside and out.
• Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks.
• Polish chrome faucets and mirrors.
• Clean out the refrigerator.
• Vacuum daily.
• Wax floors.
• Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures.
• Bleach dingy grout.
• Replace worn rugs.
• Hang up fresh towels – Bathroom towels look great fastened with ribbon and bows.
• Clean vents.
• Clean and air out any musty smelling areas. Odors will kill a sale!

Clean & Make Ready

Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside? Does the house welcome you? Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look to a buyer. Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it makes sense. Remember: this is no longer going to be your home. Make sure window coverings hang level. Tune in to the room’s statement and its emotional pull. Does it have impact and pizzazz? Does it look like nobody lives in this house? You’re almost finished.

Curb Appeal

If a buyer won’t get out of her agent’s car because she doesn’t like the exterior of your home, you’ll never get her inside.

• Keep the sidewalks cleared.
• Mow the lawn.
• Paint faded trim.
• Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together -Yellow evokes a buying emotion and marigolds are inexpensive.
• Trim your bushes.
• Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.
• Make sure your doorway is clean and cobweb free. First impressions are EVERYTHING!