Time to Sell!!!

It’s a seller’s market… but that doesn’t mean a house shouldn’t show nice

 

When listing a house for sale, there have always been a few small efforts that are incredibly worthwhile to make a house look better.  A house that looks better shows better, and the better a house shows the more potential buyers will be able to envision that house as a home.  Granted, this can be difficult if the house is a rental and the tenants are not on board with assisting in showcasing the house, but do what you can!

Cleanliness and clutter. 

 

Even an outdated place, or a place in disrepair, will show much better if the dishes are put away and beds are made.  If you are planning on moving before your out-of-season clothes are needed, pack them up and see if you can store them at a friend or family member’s house.  Potential buyers will be looking in the closets to assess storage capacity and jam packed spaces are discouraging.  This goes double-whammy for nick-knacks; potential buyers have no attachment to your “stuff”.

Now once your space is a little less cluttered, keep horizontal surfaces wiped clean, floors swept, toys put away.  The better the place looks the quicker it should get sold and the hassle of strangers looking through your home will be over.

Small repairs.

You don’t have to undertake a large scale renovation to sell your home.  Often times, renovation costs are not fully realized in the final selling price of a home, although they can go a long way to make a place stand out against the competition.  If there’s a hole in the drywall, fix it!  Replacing burnt out lights is also important as the first thing people do when entering a room is turn on lights.

Top 10 Checklist before showing your home:

Here is a list of low cost, easy to complete tasks that will make your home more attractive to potential buyers and easier to show for your Relator. 

1: Winter time: Shovel walkways and driveway; Summer time: mow lawn

2: Put away dishes

3: Put away clutter and children’s toys

4: Put away any personal items (ie: credit card bills)

5: Clean bathrooms

6: Remove pets from home and backyard if at all possible

7: Vacuum

8: Briefly light scented candle (cinnamon or vanilla) MAKE SURE TO EXTINGUISH BEFORE YOU LEAVE!  Or use a plugin. 

9: Turn all lights on (replace any burnt out bulbs)

10: Vacate premise half an hour before showing time and stay away half after (in case the potential buyers show up early or take longer to view)