Prepare Your Home to Sell
Before your home is shown to prospective buyers, your Realtor will recommend how to get it ready for sale. An attractive, well-kept home generally has a better chance of selling faster. As any Realtor will tell you, regular preventative maintenance is vital to maintaining your property value. Here are the top ten tips for a quick sale.
Tip #1 -Catch up with deferred maintenance.
Oil door hinges, stop squeky floorboards with talcum powder, replace washers on dripping taps and missing hooks on curtains. Fix all of those things that you never got around to doing. Remember, first impressions count.
Tip #2 - Drive-by desirability.
House buyers drive by before they pick the houses they want to view. Make yours stand out by painting the door a bright colour, planting window boxes or pots of colourful flowers, and make sure that the house numbers are visable from the street.
Tip #3 - The big clear out.
Clutter can be distracting to people trying to visualize living in your home. Pack away your knick-knacks in boxes and seal down the lids and stack them (in the garage and not the spare room) ready for the day you move. Clean out closets. Buyers want to see lots of closet space. This may be the time to clear out furniture that you are not going to be taking with you to your new home. Sell it or give it away. Do the same in all of your kitchen and bathroom cabinets.
Tip #4 - Good views.
Clean the windows and woodwork with a good household detergent. This improves the look of a room and lets in the natural daylight. Go outside and really look at the windows. Are there plants and shrubs blocking the windows? If so, trim them back. If your home has a view, take a careful look and see if any trees may need topping or spiral thinnning out. You may not have noticed the gradual growth but a prospective buyer will.
Tip #5 - Neat window dressings.
Dry-clean or steam-clean the curtains and wash any blinds. Doing this will really "lift" a room and also remove any odours.
Tip #6 - Hallways.
Make sure you replace all the light bulbs. Keep all the halls clean, light, and clutter free. A simple thing such as adding a mirror can make a dark hall seem much lighter and bigger. Do not paint it a dark colour. Keep things light and bright.
Tip #7 - Ceilings.
Get rid of those cobwebs! Do not forget to look up as your buyers will. Check around light fixtures and in corners. If your ceiling has any damage, it is worth spending the money to put it right. Ceilings are a major "red flag".
Tip #8 - Walls.
Wash walls with a soft cloth and a little detergent and touch up any damaged areas. Stick down any lifting edges of wall-paper. You can crayon in scuff-marks on darker wall-papers. If you do redecorate to sell, use neutral colours such as cream, pale yellow, and white woodwork. This combination is a winner every time.
Tip #9 - Floors.
Potential buyers look at, and feel, what is under their feet. Carpets are seen as a large outlay for the new homeowner and that could cost you the sale. They can also hold odours so make the most of what you have by getting the carpets cleaned. If they are wearing thin, pull them up. Bare wood floors and a rug can be a cost effective alternative or re-carpet using a neutral colour. If you have hardwood floors check their condition and, if necessary, consider having them sanded and finished.
Tip #10 - Surf Stoppers.
With the growing enthusiasm for buyers to use the internet to find property, photos are more important than ever. Buyers use both outside and inside photos to narrow down their choices. This is not just to find a property to view, but to eliminate property from their selection. Before your buyers even get to your door, your home may be eliminated from their search and the next property is just one click away. The rooms need to be staged for the shot to ensure you get the best photos possible published for your property. Be very selective and only publish the best shots with the best lighting. Have inside shots taken in daylight otherwise the windows can look like big black boxes or all you see is curtains.