Getting your home ready to show and sell
can make the difference between a quick sale and a long market time.
Setting the stage may or may not get you more money but it can reduce the time
it takes your home to sell, which does save you money. Setting the stage to show
and sell your home is a two phase project. First, the things you need to do beforeyou put your home on the market and secondly the things you need to do before
EVERY showing.
Prior to
Putting Your Home on the Market
DE-CLUTTER Rent a storage unit if you
have to. Try to look at your home through the eyes of a
buyer. That stack of stuff in the corner that you are so used to
looking at needs to be removed. If your home is small and
or crowded consider rearranging or removing furniture . The
exercise equipment that you never use - Store It! Accessories are
wonderful and should remain in
moderation. Go to some model homes and see how they look. They
have accessories, but nothing is overdone. Closets should be uncluttered
also. Remove out of season clothes and give all those things you no
longer need to charity. Stack things neatly on
shelves. OR ADD - if your furnishings are sparse, borrow
some pictures for the walls, cover the beat up sofa with a throw and bring in a
flower arrangement. Just use common sense, make your home look the best you can.
CLEAN EVERYTHING
Your home should sparkle. Don't overlook light fixtures, a clean fixture can
make a huge difference in the lighting in a room. While you are cleaning the
fixtures replace dim bulbs with bright ones. Make sure your bathrooms are
spotless, faucets should be shiny, counters empty except for a few accessories,
fixtures cleaned and fresh (get the rust stains out of the toilet etc), mirrors
should be clean and streak free. The same goes for the kitchen - sparkling
faucet, clean shiny sink, cabinet fronts should be wiped down or cleaned,
replace drip pans on the range.
Wash all light switches, we don't realize how the fingerprints collect on
these. Go through your home room by room and make sure everything has been
cleaned, even the utility room and furnace.
MAKE MINOR
REPAIRS That dripping faucet or toilet that won't quit running may
just be a quick 10 minute repair but left alone can become a concern for the
buyer. "Maybe there is a plumbing problem" , "we better
offer less" or "there is too much deferred maintenance in this
house" are typical comments from buyers. Touch up paint or paint a whole room if
needed. The drawings your kids made on the wall will not be considered art
by potential buyers. Touch up woodwork where needed. The scratches your
dog made on the door (or worse chewed the woodwork) should all be fixed and
painted. Re-caulk tubs and showers.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT Paint
your front door. Sweep away leaves, cobwebs etc. I can't stress this
enough, potential buyers are already deciding if they like your home while
waiting for the REALTORŪ
or homeowner to unlock the door.
DE-CLUTTER 
Rent a storage unit if you
have to. Try to look at your home through the eyes of a
buyer. That stack of stuff in the corner that you are so used to
looking at needs to be removed. If your home is small and
or crowded consider
rearranging or removing furniture . The
exercise equipment that you never use - Store It! Accessories are
wonderful and should remain in
moderation. Go to some model homes and see how they look. They
have accessories, but nothing is overdone. Closets should be uncluttered
also. Remove out of season clothes and give all those things you no
longer need to charity. Stack things neatly on
shelves.
Your home should sparkle. Don't overlook light fixtures, a clean fixture can
make a huge difference in the lighting in a room. While you are cleaning the
fixtures replace dim bulbs with bright ones. Make sure your bathrooms are
spotless, faucets should be shiny, counters empty except for a few accessories,
fixtures cleaned and fresh (get the rust stains out of the toilet etc), mirrors
should be clean and streak free. The same goes for the kitchen - sparkling
faucet, clean shiny sink, cabinet fronts should be wiped down or cleaned,
replace drip pans on the range.
Wash all light switches, we don't realize how the fingerprints collect on
these. Go through your home room by room and make sure everything has been
cleaned, even the utility room and furnace.
running may
just be a quick 10 minute repair but left alone can become a concern for the
buyer. "Maybe there is a plumbing problem" , "we better
offer less" or "there is too much deferred maintenance in this
house" are typical comments from buyers. 
Touch up paint or paint a whole room if
needed. The drawings your kids made on the wall will not be considered art
by potential buyers. Touch up woodwork where needed. The scratches your
dog made on the door (or worse chewed the woodwork) should all be fixed and
painted. Re-caulk tubs and showers.
leaves, cobwebs etc. I can't stress this
enough, potential buyers are already deciding if they like your home while
waiting for the REALTORŪ
or homeowner to unlock the door.