Before You List Your Home, Do This!

EXTERIOR:

   Curb appeal, being the very first impression, is extremely important! Most buyers will first do a drive to decide if they want see the rest of the home.

   Always look at your home as if you were the buyer. Do you like what you see? Does the yard look appealing? Is the lawn mowed? Are there weeds? Get a second opinion about the appearance of your home by bringing over a pair of fresh, honest eyes and be humble enough to LISTEN to their opinion and diligently use their advice.

   Make the entrance area neat and clean. Just a fresh coat of paint on the front door can make a huge difference.

   Replace or repaint the address numbers so the home is easily identifiable. Remember, you know right where the house even from the top of the mountain; but your prospective buyers may have no idea where you are. BE EASY TO FIND!

INTERIOR:

    Clutter tends to lead the buyer to believe that there is not enough storage in the home, so clear away the clutter. Put away your personal photos, knickknacks, boxes, and anything that will distract the buyer from concentrating on the house itself.

   Thoroughly clean your home, especially the kitchens and baths. Make them sparkle. Clean your appliances, wash the windows and window coverings.

   Look at your walls. Do they need touched up, or maybe even a new coat of paint? It is well worth the effort or money to have that taken well care of. These kinds of costs are not relly "costs" at all. They are "investments."

   Minimize your furniture and arrange it so that it creates a smooth traffic flow. Pull furniture away from the walls if possible to make the room look bigger.

   Reduce odors in your home. A fish doesn't know he's wet, and you don't know what your own house smells liek. Bring in an honest friend or neighbor (or realtor) and get their opinion on the smell. Clean and deodorize the carpet if needed. Prior to showing your home open windows to air out the house.Use air fresheners, but not too many. You don't want the buyers to question why they are needed. Bake cookies or bread, prior to a showing, they make your home smell inviting. There is nothing worse than a smelly home, so make it fresh.

   Go through your home with a buyers eye. Look for and make any necessary repairs. Look for anything that might be flagged by a home inspector. If you make these repairs now, they will not become an issue that slows down the sale.

   Remember: If you will do the things that only the top 2% of sellers do, you will be in  the top 2%!