Tips to prepping your home for sale

If you plan to sell your home soon… well, plan is an important word in that process. You can’t just slap a for-sale sign down and expect buyers to line up. Here are some tips, culled with the assistance of GayRealEstate.com, for making sure your home is ready to get noticed, both inside and out.

Step 1: Spruce up the outside for curb appeal. Since spring is upon us, make sure to trim bushes, rake the leaves and make sure that the landscaping is not cluttered or covering walkways. Wipe down the mailbox and make sure your front porch light works to make your entryway more inviting. Maybe even add a garden gnome. (We asked several area Realtors for their specifics on curb appeal.

Step 2: Shine glass surfaces. Take the time to wash all of your windows, polish all of your mirrors and dust off any reflective surface. If something as simple as mirrors and dusting is not kept up with, what about the bigger parts of the house?

Step 3: Dust! One category of items in the home that often gets overlooked are those that we never move. Vacuum your stationary drapes — or better yet, take them to the dry cleaners. Spritz them (and your furniture) with Febreze to get them fresh smelling. Vacuum off any of your furniture that will be there during the open house or walk-through as well, for the same reason. The fresher the area smells and looks, the happier potential buyers will be.

Step 4: Sharpen the look of any room you can. Taking $20 or $30 to update a room’s look is well worth it when it comes to making your home look and feel more inviting. Add a fresh coat of neutral colored paint, and make sure the flooring of the room is as clean and nice-looking as you can make it. Get the carpets steam-cleaned if that hasn’t been done recently, or have your wood floors polished. Those simple changes can give your room a welcoming feel that invites potential buyers in.

Step 5: Make simple repairs that stand out. You may have gotten used to not opening a window in that back room because there is a hole in the screen, but a potential buyer doesn’t know that. It takes a few minutes and very little money to replace a screen. Check all windows for these types of problems, and fix any you find.

The same goes with other areas of your home. If you are so used to the imperfections of your home that you don’t notice them, ask a close friend or family member to look at your home objectively and point out any issues it may have. Make a list of the things they point out, and fix the things you have the ability to fix. This way, it shows that you gave your home a lot of TLC while living there, which boosts buyer confidence in your home.