Preparing Your House For Sale
- Let Go Of Your Emotional Connection With The Home
- Say to yourself, "This is not my home; it is a house."
- Make the mental decision to let go of your emotions and focus on the fact that soon this house will no longer be yours.
- Picture yourself handing the keys over to the new owners.
- Say goodbye to every room.
- Don't look backwards. Look toward the future in your new house.
- De-Personalize
- Pack up personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers tend to focus on these items and get distracted. You want buyers to be able to imagine themselves living in the house, not your house.
- Get Rid Of Clutter.
- People tend to collect an extraordinary amount of "stuff." In most cases, if you haven't used an item in over a year, you probably don't need it.
- So...
- if you don't need it, donate it or throw it away.
- remove your books from the shelves.
- pack up your collectibles.
- clean off decorative items on the kitchen counters.
- put items used daily into a box that you can store in a closet when you are showing the home.
- this process is a way to begin the bigger task of packing up your house for the big move.
- Rearrange Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets
- Buyers like to explore and sometimes will look in closets and cabinet doors. Therefore, it is a lot easier to sell a house if your storage areas are well organized and it shows that you take good care of your house.
- Rent A Storage Unit.
- Houses tend to show a lot better if there is less furniture taking up space. Remove and store furniture that blocks walkways. Remove any unessential furniture. You only want to leave furniture that illustrates to the buyer what the room's use is.
- Remove or Replace Items That Are Moving With You
- If there's anything you want to take with you, window coverings, fixtures, appliances, etc., remove them before you begin showing the home. Buyers sometimes expect that certain items like the ones above are included with the purchase of the house.
- Make Small Repairs
- Replace cracked tiles.
- Patch holes in walls.
- Fix leaky faucets.
- Fix anything that don't close properly.
- You may want to paint any walls in bold or unusual colors, with a more neutral color.
- Replace old light bulbs.
- Make Your House Shine
- Wash all windows on both sides.
- Clean exterior siding, walkways, and driveways.
- Check for cobwebs.
- Clean bathrooms top to bottom and re-caulk or bleach caulk if needed.
- Polish all shiny fixtures and mirrors.
- Clean out your refrigerator.
- Vacuum regularly.
- Dust all furniture, ceiling fans, and light fixtures.
- Make sure all rugs appear like they're new.
- Get rid of all odors, but stay away from overbearing scents.
- Be Critical Of Your Own House
- Is the exterior of your house inviting?
- Stand in every doorway and imagine how the room looks to a buyer.
- Make sure furniture arrangements make sense.
- Window coverings should hang properly.
- Make sure the rooms have an emotional impact or wow factor.
- It should look like nobody lives in your house (i.e. It's that perfectly put together and uninterrupted).
- Check Curb Appeal
- If the exterior of the house is unattractive, if reflects on the condition of the rest of the house, and buyer will not want to see the interior.
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