Is Your Home Ready To Sell?
Putting your home’s “best face forward” is the most important thing you can do to attract a prospective buyer. A home that appears to need work will not bring the maximum market price, even though the problems may be simple, inexpensive cosmetic fixes. Taking the time to prepare and organize your home prior to offering it for sale can not only produce a faster sale, it may also bring you more money. Buyers have always interpreted a clean home in good condition as having greater value. The following suggestions will help your home show to it’s maximum financial advantage.
1. Re-paint the interior and exterior. If your home’s outside paint is worn, repaint using a current and complimentary. Repainting a chipped or peeling exterior is the most cost effective improvement you can make to your home. If the interior needs a touch-up or there are more than two different colors of paint on the interior walls, consider repainting with a neutral off-white. If the walls or ceilings are water stained, have roof leaks repaired and cover the stain with a sealer prior to painting.
2. Clean and organize the bathrooms. These rooms should sparkle. This means
new soap in the dish and plenty of fresh towels. Keep mirrors clean and counters clear. Close the toilet lid and open the shower curtain.
3. Finish and manicure the landscaping. You don’t need to go overboard, but unfinished landscaping projects can detract from an otherwise attractive home. Trim the yard and remove weeds. Keep the grass neatly cut and trim back overgrown shrubs and trees. Consider replanting any “dead” or unfinished areas. Check sprinkler systems and timers, making sure everything is in good working order. If you have an outdoor misting system, clean the misting heads and remove any calcium deposits on roof eaves and patio overhangs. If you have a pool, check the water and make chemical adjustments daily. If necessary, have the pool’s cleaning system checked to ensure it is operating at peak efficiency. If you have a water feature, turn it on prior to all showings. Keep toys, floats and rafts out of the pool and stored out of sight.
4. Clean out the garage. Throw away the trash and have a yard sale. If necessary, rent a storage space and store unused or seasonal items and equipment. An organized garage will appear much larger than one full of clutter.
5. Clean out the closets. Pack seasonal clothing that is not being used to give more room and space, and make the closets look larger. Examine the closet shelving and repaint if necessary. Help to organize closet space by storing the clutter in stackers or boxes that will fit on the shelves.
6. Make it bright. Replace all burned out bulbs with the maximum rated fixture wattage, and use fluorescents where possible. Just prior to showing, turn on every light in the home and open all drapes, shutters and blinds to acquire maximum light from the outside. Make sure windows and window sills are clean, and screens are dust-free.
7. Clean/refinish the front door, gates and garage door. If the exterior doors appear extremely worn or weather damaged, consider replacing them. The front door to your home is usually the second impression a potential buyer has after “curb appeal” (the “look” of your home from the street). Also take a look at your exterior gates. They should close and latch smoothly and be in good mechanical condition. Gates sporting a new coat of paint or varnish tend to indicate a property that has been well cared for. If the garage door is cracked or broken, replace it with a newer metal door. If your have an electric door opener, check to make sure the door opens smoothly and quietly, and all safety features are in working order.
8. Have a pest control treatment. Nothing turns off a potential buyer faster than finding a scorpion or large roach in a closet or kitchen cabinet. Have a professional pest control company treat your entire property to remove these desert pests.
9. Clean the carpet. Although steam cleaning has long been the professional standard, we’ve seen excellent results from “dry chemical” cleaning systems. If your carpet is extremely worn, consider replacing it with a neutral, earth tone plush. Although you can offer a potential buyer an allowance for new carpet, you will not have the same “selling advantage” as you would with new, fresh carpet.
10. To accommodate last minute requests for showings, designate a hiding place to temporarily stash laundry, papers, magazines and other clutter. This could be under a bed, a clothes hamper or a closet. A few sellers actually drop clutter into the trunk of their car as they leave just prior to a showing. Keep a few empty boxes or stackers available, and use them to clear counters, tables and dressers. Knowing you have a place for quick clean-ups can lower the stress from last minute requests for a showing. (And remember, many last minute showings turn into sales.)
We would be happy to provide a FREE computerized home evaluation that can be
e-mailed, faxed or mailed to you at cost or obligation. It includes the most recent sales of similar homes in your neighborhood and the expected price range for your home.
Give us a call at 602-809-7670 if we can help in any way. Be sure to visit our website at www.jillreid.com for more information, and feel free to send an e-mail to jillreid@jillreid.com if there is anything we can do for you. There’s absolutely no obligation and no sales pressure. We promise.
