The following pages will guide you step by step through the process of preparing your home for sale to achieve the highest possible sale price in the lease amount of time. Our concentration will be in eight areas: (1) Look at Your Home,
(2) Repairing, (3) Cleaning, (4) Neutralizing, (5) Space Management,
(6) Atmosphere, (7) Staging and (8) Now Get Ready
(1)Your home looks great to you, but a buyer wants to see it since he and his family will be living in it- so take a fresh look at your dwelling. Hop in your car, drive around the block and then scrutinize your home as a prospective buyer will see it for the first time. First, consider what’s called “street appeal;” does it need washing or painting? Does the driveway need repair work? Is the landscaping in good shape? Remember, be very critical; your buyer will be.
Next, pull into the driveway and take a good, hard look. Is the yard neat and trimmed? What about the view from the front yard? Then, walk inside and size up the interior as though seeing it for the first time. Take a tour and
imagine what your real estate agent might say about each room, look into
cabinets, open doors, check out the bathroom.
Then, make a mental note of the things that might put off potential buyers, along with another list of the things that first attracted you to the dwelling. Remember, the home’s become a great place for you, but a new buyer will see things that you don’t.
(2) The rule of thumb is, if something needs repaired, fix it! There are probably many
things in your home that you have simply become used to over time...things that
you have been promising yourself that you will attend to. Well, now is the time. The buyer will mentally add up the cost of repairing all those minor flaws and end up with an amount that is generally much higher than what it would cost you to do the repairs.
You might say to yourself, “These repairs aren’t any big deal.” But the buyer is
thinking, “If the owners didn’t care for these little items, then what about the roof and furnace?” Needed small repairs and perceived owner neglect will either lower the purchase price or lengthen the time required to sell.
(3) Check all walls for peeling paint and loose wall paper.
(4) Large repairs: In today’s climate of open disclosure and vigilant professional home
inspections, the rule is “Treat a buyer as your would yourself.” Repair any
problems with major systems or offer an allowance for the buyer to make repairs after
closing. Always disclose anything that you know about the property. Having been
a consumer yourself, you know that buyers will more readily make a purchase
decision with someone whom they can trust.
(5) There is, however, an alternative to the sweat equity you get from a total fix-up - but it carries a price. An “as-is” sale keeps you from doing all this work, but a buyer will
assess about twice the price you would have paid for the repairs. Then, the buyer will deduct that amount from your asking price before making an offer.
(6) So, patch up the roof, touch up the paint, repair the screens, spruce up the porch
framing and make your entry area shine. Don’t forget to water the lawn and landscape beds and take the time to trim, mow, edge and get rid of sick or dying plants. Inside, fix the grout in the bathrooms and on tile floors, adjust any doors that need it, fix any scratches on the walls, cover any stains and be sure to fix any plumbing problems.
Remember, do what your home needs before the first buyer appears at your door.
(7) Also, it’s a good idea to get all this done before getting the real estate broker to make the first listing - a good agent will advise you on what needs to be done. Also, if you have friends willing to be brutally honest about what your home needs to sell, invite them to assess the fix-up needs.
(8) Every area of the home must sparkle and shine! Each hour spent will be well worth it. Would you rather buy a clean car or a dirty one? Would you hurry to buy a pair of shoes with mud on them?
(9) Clean all windows, inside and out. This helps make the house sparkle.
(10) Clean all wall-to-wall carpeting and area rugs. Clean and polish linoleum, tile and wooden floors.
(11) Clean and polish all woodwork if necessary. Pay particular attention to the kitchen and bath cabinets.
(12) Clean and polish all light fixtures.
(13) In short, clean everything possible.
(14) Be cautious about selecting colors when painting or replacing
carpeting. Your objective here is to make your home appeal to the largest possible buying segment. Ask yourself, “How many of the available buyers would be able to move into your house with their furniture and not have to replace the carpeting?” Position your home on the market to be as livable to as many people as
possible and allow the buyer to mentally picture the home as theirs.
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