Prepare Your Home For Sale In 6 Steps
Preparing your house for the real estate market is a critical step to ensuring you receive the most amount of money for your home in the least amount of time. You only have one chance to make a great impression. At Corcoran Classic Living Real Estate, our expert agents will walk through the home with you and address necessary repairs, common inspection issues and offer staging tips that will help to get your home parade ready. Here are 6 steps to preparing your home for sale.
Your home has an exterior and interior and both areas need love and attention before putting your home on the market. Let’s start with maximizing your curb appeal. After all, this is the first thing buyers see before even entering the home! Make a great impression by following these first 3 steps.
1. Clean/Repair Home Exterior
Power wash the siding and windows. Inspect the roof and make repairs as needed. Clean and repair gutters and downspouts. Repair cracks in the driveway and sidewalks. Repair and repaint fences, decks, windows, shutters and screen doors. Sweep walkways, patio, decks, steps and porches.
2. Yard Maintenance
Mow, water and fertilize the lawn. Trim shrubs and trees and rake the leaves. Remove fallen limbs. Clean out flower beds and plant seasonal flowers. Add fresh mulch to garden beds.
3. Make It Pretty
Add a doormat to your entrance. Add potted plants around doorway. Clean hardware on the front door, outside lighting and fixtures. Add visible house numbers.
After you’ve finished working on the exterior of your home, it’s time to move inside. A clean and well staged interior can mean more showings, more offers and more money in your pocket. Let’s get to work.
4. Freshen & Clean
Paint interior walls neutral colors. Repair cracks and holes in walls. Clean hardwood floors and carpeting. Clean windows inside and out. Clean light fixtures and ceiling fans. Clean bathroom tub/shower, sink, fixtures and walls. Clean kitchen sink, cabinets, and appliances. Clean out and organize closets and storage spaces. Clean out fireplace.
5. Declutter
Remove excess and oversized furniture. Remove extra appliances and decorations from dressers and countertops in kitchens and bathrooms. Remove mail, magazines and newspapers from all surfaces.
6. Depersonalize
Remove family photos, personal collections and medications. Remove toys and pet items. Clear refrigerator completely of messages, photos and magnets.