The first thing you should do to get your house ready to sell is to "de-personalize" it. Your home is where you sleep, eat, park your car and put all your belongings (including other family members). Your home is where you feel warm, comfortable, safe and protected. A home is where you live.

De-personalizing your house permits a potential buyer to imagine your house as their potential home. You should remove family elements such as photos, sports trophies, collectible items, knick-knacks and souvenirs. This allows the buyer to picture the home with his things in it. It would be a good idea to rent a storage unit to keep your prized possessions in.

Clutter removal

The next step in preparing your house for sale is to remove the clutter. I’m sure in the time you’ve lived in your home you’ve collected a significantly large quantity of stuff. Remember the first time you looked at your new home? You checked everything in the house, opened the cabinets, pulled the drawers and opened closet doors. Your buyers will most likely be doing the same thing, so cleaning up the extra stuff that has gathered over the years will help your home look ready for its next owner.

Areas that will most likely be inspected, scrutinized and examining are:

Kitchen – Clean out your pantry, cupboards and shelves – keep trashcans out of view and empty of course.

Closets – Closets are great places for storing your stuff. Extra clothing, shoes and accessories that probably haven’t seen daylight for sometime can all be boxed and placed in storage. Cleaning your closets out also will make them appear larger- a huge item on any buyer’s list.

Furniture – A room may appear overcrowded and smaller if you have it full of furniture. The big over-stuffed sofa or your favorite worn, but comfortable recliner may need to find a temporary home when showing your home to potential buyers. Remember, the buyer wants to envision his or her own furniture in the home. It might be a good idea to tour some builder’s models to see how they place furniture in the model homes. You’ll then get an idea of how to place your own furniture to make the house appealing.

Storage Areas – These are the preferred places for your things to collect. Places such as basements, garages, attics and sheds attract whatever doesn’t go into the living room, bedrooms, closets or kitchen. This is the perfect time to have that garage sale you’ve been putting off. Cleaning up and cleaning out will make a dramatic difference in your selling efforts.

Fixtures and Plumbing – Check all fixtures to make sure they turn easily and are in proper working order, and that all of your faucets do not leak. All of your fixtures should look as shiny and new as possible.

Walls, Ceilings and paint – Go through your home and check your walls and ceilings for water stains. In some cases old leaks leave stains, even after the leak has been repaired. If you do find a leak, by all means have it repaired. Having the interior of your home painted can be your best investment when selling. A neutral color, such as – beige, cream, ivory or standard off-white will permit your buyers to picture your house with the colors of their choice. Lighter colors add brightness to rooms and make them appear larger and more spacious.

Floors – If your carpet appears old and worn, or is an outdated style, you might want to replace it. Otherwise hiring a good carpet cleaner may be all you need. If you decide to replace your carpet, pick something inexpensive and in a fairly neutral color.

Doors and Windows – Check all the doors and windows throughout your home to double check that they can easily open and make no noise. If you find any problems, buy some WD-40 or door grease and spray all the hinges to ensure that each can smoothly open. Make sure that none of you windows have cracks or are broken. It is also a good idea to clean all of your windows thoroughly, allowing your rooms to be bright. You want to keep in mind that as potential buyers go from room to room, they’ll open each door and you want to do everything possible to create a positive impression.

Odors – If you are a smoker, it’s a good idea to not smoke in you home while trying to sell. You should purchase an ozone spray to help remove odors without creating a masking odor. An offensive odor will be an immediate turn off for most buyers. If you have pets, they probably have created odors that you’ve become used to. For someone stepping into the house the first time, they will notice the smell. If you own a cat, make sure to empty the cat litter box daily. You can purchase products that you can sprinkle in a layer below the kitty litter that helps to control the odor. If you are a dog owner, try to keep the dogs outside as much as you can. Even if your home has no offensive odors, you can create some pleasant odors to make the home more appealing. Try plug in air fresheners, incense, candles (which will also add a nice ambiance to your home), or carpet freshening sprays.

Copyright © Agent Image 2005

<<Back To Sellers