Tips to Sell Your Home

Checklist for Preparing Your Home

1. Very Important - Arrange to be absent during showings!! Children, pets and adults can keep buyers from feeling at ease while they look through a home.

2. While a buyer is looking through your home, do not speak to them at all unless they specifically ask you a question. Resist the natural temptation to try and pump up your home with tidbits - this more often does more harm than good.

3. CLEAN! CLEAN! CLEAN! CLEAN! CLEAN! CLEAN! Yes, it seems too obvious that cleaning before hand is necessary - but what level of clean? Not just an ordinary clean-up, do a spring cleaning. If you're not getting new carpet, get your current carpet cleaned either personally or professionally.

4. Make sure the landscaping is good order; try to keep any personal effects (soccer balls, basketball hoops, etc.) out of sight at least when there's a showing taking place.

5. Control pets and evidence that pets are even in the home. The goal is not to keep it a secret that there ever were pets in the house, just to make sure that it's not the only thing about the house that the buyer remembers.

6. Make sure your home smells fresh & clean. Smell has more impact then you would expect. Strong cooking odors, and smoking before a showing can ruin a sale. Fresh paint is always a good idea.

7. Add a touch of fragrance. For the aroma of fresh baking try vanilla on light bulbs or stove burners. Use fresh flowers to enhance the smell & looks of a room. Put extra spicy condiments/spices in ziploc bags.

8. Subtle background music can relax a buyer (light jazz, classical perhaps). Avoid loud music or television sounds. Never turn a dishwasher or laundry appliance on.

9. Dress up your front door. This is the focal point of your house try adding a brass knocker, flower box or replacing worn hardware

10. Avoid strong personal religious or political statements. The buyer is less likely to feel comfortable and therefore less able to visualize the property as his or her own.

11. Open blinds and curtains. It is proven that people react more favorably to property shown under bright light than dark. Replace burnt out light bulbs. Turn on lights, use 100 watt bulbs for the best effect.

12. Keep walkways clean for easy access

13. Repair, wash or paint front doors, screens and steps

14. Clean or replace exterior light fixtures, mailboxes, house numbers, etc.

15. Repair and paint broken fences, decks, railings

16. If carpets are badly worn, consider replacing them with new ones in a neutral color - the expense will either come now or later in the form of an allowance or reduced sales price, or a the lengthening of the time your home spends on the market.

17. If you re-paint your home, paint interior using neutral colors.

18. Avoid unusual wallpaper or highly patterned wallpaper.

19. Limit bright colors to an accent role, like flowers, towels, area rugs and shower curtains

20. Touch up paint on baseboards, corners, etc.

21. Clear halls and stairways to give wide appearance.

22. Clean and organize kitchen cupboards.

23. Make sure cupboard doors and hardware operate easily, get rid or those squeaks. Spruce up kitchen cabinets by installing new knobs. Remember the little things count!!

24. Replace kitchen sink if it is in rough shape.

25. Repair leaky faucets.

26. Keep kitchen counters clean and clear.

27. Put baking soda in fridge and freezer.

28. Try putting a quarter section of lemon in the garbage disposal to freshen it up.

29. Remove small kitchen appliances and gadgets from counter tops to create an uncluttered look.

30. Clean appliances inside and out.

31. If appliances are dated by color consider having them professionally refinished in a new color - white is best. This will make appliances look new at a fraction of the cost of replacing them.

32. Get rid of unnecessary furniture items, etc. to make more room.

33. Tidy up desks, phone areas, etc.

34. Clean and organize storage areas. Is it time for that garage sale or donation to a worthwhile cause?

35. Clean and organize bedroom closets. Closet organizers do a great job of helping fully utilize space.

36. A ceiling fan can be an attractive and practical accent to any room, bedrooms included.

37. Mirrored closet doors can add dramatically to the feeling of size.

38. Use mirrors whenever possible to enhance the perception of size.

39. Clean windows and area around them, watch for streaks!

40. Replace cracked or broken glass.

41. Clean mirrors

42. Replace noisy bathroom fans

43. Clean tub, shower grout and molding.

44. Replace bathtub caulking if needed.

45. Clean off all hard water marks from taps, tiles, etc.

46. Put all very personal items out of sight.

47. Add color and brightness with a new towel rack and towels

48. Replace an old toilet seat with a new one

49. Buy a new shower curtain.

50. Open the shower curtain. This will add an extra 2 feet to your bathroom size

51. If the bathroom is in poor shape, consider refinishing the tub

52. Clean and organize the laundry area

53. Clean out wood burning fireplaces. Show it off to its best advantage.

54. Make sure fireplace screen is in good condition, replace if necessary

55. If appropriate make a cozy, crackling fire, or dress up the hearth with fresh indoor plants or dried flowers.

56. Dust and clean out furnace room including pipes and hot water tanks.

57. Have furnaces cleaned. Replace furnace filters.

58. Check hot water tanks for leaks and sign of aging.

59. The roof is one of the most important aspects of your home. Replace any broken or missing shingles, shakes or tiles.

60. Paint eaves and fascia boards.

61. Repair flashing where needed.

62. Maintain gutters and down spouts. Consider replacing highly visible ones if they are in need of repair .

63. Clean vinyl or aluminum siding with a product designed for these materials.

64. If exterior paint is peeling or worn a fresh coat of paint can be one of the best investments you can make to increase the value of your property. If you do not want to paint the entire house, consider just painting the trim, shutters or the front of the house.

65. Your property’s landscape is not limited to the lawn and shrubs, it encompasses everything from the street to your doorstep. For this reason, make sure each component of the visual landscape looks its best. The real estate industry refers to this a "curb appeal".

66. Clean up the back lane and rear parking area.

67. Remove debris, old cars, etc. from around the house.

68. Keep gates in good repair.

69. Sweep or hose down the sidewalk.

70. If there are spots on your lawn that look beyond help, a little sod goes a long way to restoring the look of a well-maintained lawn.

71. Mow the lawn, remove weeds. Trim shrubs and trees. Keep your landscaping maintained as long as your home is on the market.

72. Add color to landscaping. Plant colorful, seasonal flowers when possible.

73. Clean and organize the garage. Enhance the garage by adding sheet-rock and storage shelves.

74. Hang as many objects, garden tools, etc. as possible on walls of basements and garages to minimize clutter

75. Clean up any oil stains from garage or driveway. This can be done with kitty litter or newspaper

76. Paint bare garage and basement cement floors with oil-based grey paint. Sealed garages are the type of little things that make a big impression.

77. If driveway or path to house is cracked or broken consider having it repaired.