Tips to Get Your Home Ready to Sell

As we are moving in to the Spring season (yes, I promise we are going to have Spring), I start having people ask, okay what do I need to do to get my house ready to sell? It really is an easy process.

I think the best place to start is the front door, after all that’s your first chance to make an impression. Does the door need a fresh coat of paint, how about the moulding around the door? I can almost guarantee that it could use freshening up. Paint is one of the most inexpensive ways to update a space. The next step would be to walk around the house and make sure you don’t need to pressure wash the siding (maybe you have a little green stuff on the siding), if you’re able to, clean out the flower beds, check the gutters and do any general maintenance that needs to be done.

Next walk through your home room to room, what do you see? How much of the countertops in the kitchen are covered with stuff? How about the bathroom countertops? Is your refrigerator covered with magnets? Kid’s drawings? It’s time to remove those items and de-clutter. Go room to room and make notes about what you need and what can be stored away. You would be surprised at how much you don’t need sitting out. This also goes for furniture, do you need that extra table, dresser, chair? If not store them out of the way.

I’m going to touch on paint again. Do you have drywall seams that are showing due to settling (very common and easily repaired)? Repair them! How about nail pops in the ceiling? Fix them! Do you have an orange bedroom? It may have been perfect for your child’s creativity, but not so much when trying to sell a house. Paint the room a neutral color – as easy as it is to paint, some buyers have a hard time seeing past a bright color. Walk through your home (since you’ve already de-cluttered you should be able to see things clearly), touch up the baseboards and any marks on the walls.

Pets are something that can make or break a deal. Personally, litter boxes freak me out. They really should be out of sight if possible. Check your carpets, have they seen better days or will a good shampooing take care of things? Do you have hardwood floors under your carpet? Now might be the time to think about pulling the rugs up to see the hardwood.

Check your filters on your furnace, heat pump and AC.

I’m hoping this list will help with getting your home ready to sell and of course you’re going to want to give me a call to get it listed and sold!