Seller's Advice
Getting Your Home Ready to Sell
De-personalize the House
Storage Area Clutter
Kitchen Clutter
Closet Clutter
Furniture Clutter
Odor Control
Cost of Repairs
Plumbing and Fixtures
Ceilings, Walls and Painting
Carpet and Flooring
Windows and Doors
The Front Door and Entryway
Fixing Up Outside of the House

Getting Your House Ready to Sell

• When conversing with real estate agents, you will often find that they talk to you about buying real estate, they will refer to your purchase as a "home". Yet if you are selling property, they will often refer to it as a "house". There is a reason for this. Buying real estate if often an emotional decision, but when selling real estate you need to remove emotion from the equation.

• You need to think of your house as a marketable commodity. Property. Real Estate. Your goal is get others to see it as their potential home, not yours. If you do not consciously make this decision, you can create a situation where it will take longer to sell your home.
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De-personalize the House

• You will want to de-personalize your home because you want the potential buyers to view it as their potential home. When a buyer see your family photos hanging on the walls, it puts your own brand on the house and may shatter their illusions about owning the home. Therefore, it might be a good idea to put away family photos, sports trophies, collectibles items, souvenirs and knick-knacks. Pack them in boxes for a few months till your home sells.

• Part of preparing a house for sale is to remove "clutter". Do so, pack up as much items as needed to un-clutter the home for showing and be one step ahead on your packing when it does sell.
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Storage Area Clutter

• Basements, attics, sheds and garages accumulate clutter and junk! These areas should be as empty and clean as possible so that the potential buyers can visualize what they would do with the space. Remove anything that is not essential. Great time to have a garage or yard sale.
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Kitchen Clutter

• The kitchen is a great place to start evaluating the clutter that needs to be removed. It is an easy place to start, first get everything off the counters, everything even the toaster and coffee maker. Clean out your cabinets and drawers, get rid of dishes, pot and pans etc that you do not use. Home buyers will open all your cabinets and drawers. They will want to make sure there is enough space to store their items. If the drawers or cabinets look crammed it will send out a negative message to the potential buyers that there isn't enough storage space for their items. Try to make as much empty space as possible. For this reason if you have a "junk drawer" get rid of the junk!

• Beneath the sink is a critical area also. Make sure the area beneath the sink is as empty as possible, remove all extra cleaning supplies. You might want to scrub down this area as well and determine if there are any water leaks while you are at it.
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Closet Clutter

• Closet are notorious for collecting items and clutter. We are talking about extra clothes, shoes etc, things you rarely wear but can't seem to part with. Try packing up these items and doing without for a couple of months.
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Furniture Clutter

• To much furniture in certain rooms gives the buyer a feeling of less space for their own items and much to small of an area for their items to fit. You might want to consider viewing how builders show their models and how they place furniture around the room to make you feel like there is lots of open space and room for many items.
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Odor Control

• If you are a smoker you might want to consider minimizing smoking in the home while trying to sell your home. You could consider purchasing sprays to remove odors without creating  a masking odor.

• Pets of all kinds create odors which you have become accustomed to but are noticeable to the potential buyers. If you own cats you will want to make sure that the litter box is clean daily. You also might want to consider products that you can sprinkle in a layer below the kitty litter that will help control odors. If you have dogs, keep them outdoors as much as possible. You might want to consider sprinkling a carpet freshener on the carpet periodically.
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Cost of Repairs

• Don't do anything expensive for example: remodeling. If at all possible, use your saving to pay for any repairs and improvement. Do not use your credit cards or obtain new loans. Remember that when selling you home you are also preparing  to buy your next one. You don't want to do anything that might affect your credit score or hurt your chances of qualifying for your next mortgage.
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Plumbing and Fixtures

• If at all possible all of your sink fixtures should look shiny and new. If this can't be accomplished by cleaning then buy new ones where needed. You don't have to buy something fancy, an inexpensive fixtures will give the look of new and shiny and well taken care of. Make sure you have no leaks in your faucets and that the hot and cold knobs are easy to turn.

• Check to see that you have good water pressure and that you do not have stains on any porcelain.
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Ceilings, Walls and Painting

• Check all walls and ceilings for water stains. Also check walls for areas where dirt has accumulated and you just may not have noticed. Painting can be your best investment when selling your home. It is inexpensive and something that can be done yourself. Choose colors that are neutral in color, off white is a good choice as white helps to make your rooms appear spacious and bright.
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Carpet and Flooring

• Unless your carpet is old and worn, or if it is definitely outdated in color or style you probably only need to have it professionally cleaned. If you do choose to replace it choose something that is fairly neutral in color and inexpensive.

• Repair or replace old broken floor tiles, but don't spend a lot of money on anything. Keep in mind you are not fixing the home up for yourself. You only goal here is to as few negative impressions for those potential buyers.
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Windows and Doors

• Check your windows and make sure that they all open and close easily, if not try using a spray like WD 40 which often helps. Check for cracks or broken window panes, replace if needed. Do the same for your doors, check to make sure they open and close easily, and check for creaks. Check that the doorknobs turn easily and that they are clean and polished to look sharp.
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The Front Door and Entryway

• This area should be extra sharp since it is the entryway into your home. Polish the door fixture so it gleams. If the door needs refinishing or repainting make sure to get this done. If you have a cute little plaque with the family name on it remove it. Even if it is on the mailbox. Get a new plush door mat to welcome visitors. Make sure that the lock works easily and that all the keys fits properly. When a potential buyer comes to visit your home the agent uses the key from the lock box, if there is trouble working the lock while everyone else stands around waiting, this sends a negative impression to the potential buyers.
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Fixing up Outside of the House

• Most real estate advice tells you to work on the outside of the house first, but unless there is a major project involved we believe it is best to do it last. There two main reasons for this.

  • First, steps to prepare the interior are easier, they can help develop the proper mind set required for selling, beginning to think of your home as a marketable item.

  • Second, the exterior is the most important, a potential home buyer's first impression is based on his or her view of the home. So take a walk across the street and take a good look at your house, check out nearby homes and see how your compares.
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