Preparing your house to sell
INSIDE
CLEAN! CLEAN! Rinse the carpet, wax the floors, wash the walls, windows, blinds, drapes, and light fixtures. Consider hiring a cleaning service, recognizing that it is a justified moving expense.
KITCHEN AND BATHROOMS Clear all countertops. Leave your boats and little else. Maximize available counter space. These rooms must be sparkling clean. If it’s unsightly, recaulk the tub and remove mineral deposits and grime from the shower walls. Clean stove, microwave, and refrigerator.
PRIMARY STORAGE AREA Just like the garage, it’s time to free it up. Remember, you can do it now and benefit from a more attractive home on the market or you can do it several months down the road when there is no advantage. Do it now.
REPAIRS Identify and repair leaky faucets, creaking or sticking doors, etc. When people see areas of disrepair, they begin to wonder if there may be other hidden problems.
CLOSETS Remove out-of-season clothing. Organize your clothes and shoes on the floor. Remove all clutter from cabinets and closets.
FURNITURE The less furniture, the larger a room appears.
A LIGHT APPEARANCE As a general rule, do as much as possible to lighten the appearance of your home. Pull up the blinds, open the curtains, and wear light colors. Repaint any room that starts to look shabby.
OUTSIDE
Walk around the property with a notepad and pencil. Make a list of everything you feel is less than satisfactory, regardless of cost or time. You can review the list later to determine what you can or cannot fix.
THE HOUSE Take a close look as you walk through the property. Clean anything that looks unkempt or dirty, repair or replace anything that looks loose, dirty, rusty or broken. Make sure the doorbell works. Replace a worn-out mailbox, clean exterior light fixtures, and wash windows. Look for rusted or dangling gutters, crooked antenna, loose shingles or shutters.
THE YARD Rotate and weed beds, trim trees and shrubs. Lie down on the ground cover. Repair the fence, fix the latch on the gate. Pick up the trash. Consider a lawn landscaping service.
OUTDOOR FURNITURE Examine and paint your outdoor furniture. If it is rusted or beyond repair, consider scrapping the parts.
FRONT ENTRY It’s the first thing your buyers see while waiting for the door to open. It’s worth the extra effort to fix it.
THE GARAGE The time has come. Discard virtually everything in the garage that hasn’t been used for a year. wash it.
Think in terms of a spotlessly clean, tidy, and spacious home.