Preparing Your Home For Sale

Inside

1. Clear all unnecessary objects from furniture throughout the house. Keep decorative objects on the furniture restricted to groups of 1, 3, or 5 items.
2. Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen countertops. If it hasn’t been used for three months... put it away! Clear refrigerator fronts of messages, pictures, etc. A sparse kitchen helps the buyer mentally move their own things into your kitchen.
3. In the bathroom, remove any unnecessary items from countertops, tubs, shower stalls and commode tops. Keep only your most needed cosmetics, brushes,perfumes etc., in one small group on the counter. Coordinate towels to one or two colors only.
4. Rearrange or remove some of the furniture if necessary. As owners, many times we have too much furniture in a room. This is wonderful for our own personal enjoyment, but when it comes to selling, we need to thin out as much as possible to make rooms appear larger.
5. Take down, or rearrange pictures or objects on walls to create balance. Patch and paint, if necessary.
6. Review your home's interior, room by room, and
   a. Paint any rooms that need a touch-up.
   b. Clean carpets and/or drapes.
   c. Clean Windows.
7. If you need room to store extra posessions use the garage, or rent a storage unit.
8. Leave some lights on during the day to highlight focal points in your home. Turn on all lights and lamps for showings, if possible.
9. Have stereo FM on during the day for all viewings.
10. Vanilla or citrus air fresheners are a pleasant greeting for visitors and leave a positive mental impression.
11. If you have pets, place litter boxes, etc., in an inconspicuous location.

Outside

1. Walk around the perimeter of the house and discard of all wood scraps, extra building materials, etc.
2. Clean gutters.
3. Tend to all plants... prune bushes and trees. Keep plants from blocking windows. “YOU CAN’T SELL A HOUSE IF YOU CAN’T SEE IT.” Plants are like children — they grow so fast!!
4. Weed and mulch all planting areas. Keep lawn freshly cut and fertilized. Remove any dead plants or shrubs.
5. Clear patios or decks of all small items, (small planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbecues, toys. etc.)  Put them in the garage or in a storage unit.
6. Check exterior paint condition — especially the front door and trim. Touch up with new paint, if necessary. 

Remember “CURB APPEAL" really works.  The potential buyer's first impression of your home upon viewing the exterior and entering for the first time will play a large role in their intent to buy.