Preparing Your House for Sale: Home Sellers Guide

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the multiple details necessary to sell a home. However, with a concise plan and proper execution, it can be possible to get things ready in a short time and start attracting buyers.

Outlined below is the basic plan and what you can expect when preparing your house for sale.

Make All Simple Repairs

You will have only one opportunity to make a great first impression.

Before putting a home on the market, take some time to go through every room like a detective and inspect everything. Make a list of all the items that need to be repaired, then roll up your sleeves and get to work.

Here are some common items that can be fixed by the average do-it-yourself person:

• Add fresh caulk around all sinks as well as the tubs and showers

• Patch any small holes in walls and paint over the patch

• Replace dead light bulbs with new bulbs

• Fix leaks on sinks and also fix the running water problem with a toilet

• Replace any exterior window screen that appears damaged.

• These may seem like insignificant details. But if you fail to fix these small items, potential home buyers may be turned off if they see some of these issues.

Deep Cleaning

Now that everything is working properly, it is time to thoroughly clean the whole house.

Start by getting rid of items that are cluttering countertops, closets, and cabinets. Creating open space in these storage areas will make the home seem larger and project the image to buyers that the home has lots of room for more stuff.

After the closets, cabinets, and countertops are decluttered, get everything organized. Arrange items by size and add labels. Turn items in a similar direction to create uniformity. Take advantage of higher spaces by either stacking items or getting additional shelves to improve the use of the space.

With the nonessential items removed and all the storage areas organized, it is time to start cleaning.

You should literally clean the whole home, from the floors to the ceilings. Hardwood and tile floors should receive a good cleaning, plus a nice polished finisher. Clean the refrigerator from top to bottom and behind. Carpets should be steam cleaned.

Baseboards, walls, windows, and crown molding all need to be cleaned. If there are any scuff marks or scratches on the walls or molding, get them covered with fresh paint.

Pay particular attention to the bathroom and kitchen. These two rooms should sparkle and smell clean.

Improve the Outside Appeal

Getting people in the home is the major job of the outside appearance. Therefore, it is vital to go outside and make the home look its best. Here are the general areas to focus on:

• Make sure the gutters and downspouts are all cleaned out and working correctly.

• Rent or borrow a pressure washer to clean up the concrete areas like the driveway and walkway, and take time to cut out weeds that may be growing up through seams in the concrete.

• Cut back limbs on trees that may obstruct a view of the home. Trim all the shrubbery near the home. Check to make sure there are no limbs or any other vegetation coming into contact with the exterior walls or the roof.

• Add some color by putting a few fresh potted plants near the entrance. Also get a new mat to place near the front door. Check that the house numbers located on the mailbox or home, or both, are clean and can be easily read from the road.

Final Thoughts on Preparing Your House for Sale

Thankfully, most of these tasks can be accomplished by the majority of homeowners. The biggest obstacle is blocking out the time necessary to finish them.

However, by focusing on these things for a few weekends, it will make the home much more inviting and greatly improve your odds of getting an offer on the home sooner rather than later.

---

Luke Skar, author of Preparing Your House for Sale: Home Sellers Guide (www.realestatemortgageblog.com/home-sellers/preparing-your-house-for-sale ), is also a web developer and content strategist for New American Funding. As the social media strategist, his role is to provide original content for all of their social media profiles as well as generating new leads from his website, www.madisonmortgageguys.com.