Prepping Your Home for the Market.

Thanks for stopping in! As a realtor, I am always ready to provide advice and helpful tips of how to prep your home before you sell. After all, the term “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” also applies to a house. Many people judge a house before even entering it – and I’m here to make sure that buyer wants to “unlock new doors” as soon as they step inside.

• Put on your cleaning gloves. You’ve heard of spring cleaning, right? Well imagine this is trying-to-sell-your-home cleaning. A deep cleaning, even shampooing your carpets, may be needed before your house goes on the market!
• Fresh coat of paint. A fresh coat of paint goes a long way in selling your home, especially if you haven’t updated your space for 10 years. It changes the entire look, and can help the buyer better visualize the room for themselves. Choosing a neutralized color palette – tans, whites, light grays, is always a good idea, as these colors are unobjectionable to the vast majority of buyers.
• Clutter removal. Do you have a storage room that you haven’t entered in months, and haven’t reorganized in years? Clean it up – not only will this help you with packing, but it will make the buyer stop and look. Trust me. De-cluttering your decor as well can help the buyer not focus on a tiny figurine, or that painting of your child, and see the room as a whole.
• Honey-Do list. Now it’s time to make repairs, and your realtor can help you with that. I’ll point out parts of your home that needs repairs –  like that squeaky step or that hole in the wall from your two-year old. I can even give recommendations on contractors and other services to help you out.
• Outside clean-up. No, it’s probably not super wise to re-brick your entire home, or completely re-paint your siding (although sometimes this can be an option too), but cleaning up your yard is a great idea. Re-evaulate your landscaping, and make sure it’s free of weeds, and in the best shape possible. When I provide tours to buyers, and I spend those couple seconds “unlocking the door”, the buyers are checking out the stairs and the landscape around them. A good first impression is super important, especially if you want the buyer to be “unlocking new doors” in the future – your doors, that is.

And of course, I’m only a phone call or email away. I’d love to give more advice, anytime!