subject: Preparing Your Home for Sale [print this page] Preparing Your Home for Sale Preparing Your Home for Sale
First Impressions
The entryway into your house should look perfect. You should polish or replace tarnished or outdated door fixtures. If the door needs to be refinished or repainted, do it before listing your house for sale. Make sure your lawn is cut and watered regularly and free of brown spots. Plant some flowers or small shrubs to make the exterior of your home more inviting.
Furniture
You should not have too much or too little furniture. Too much can make your rooms look smaller than they really are. It may make it difficult for potential buyers to properly see all of the features in your home. For example, a lot of furniture might cause potential buyers to overlook a fireplace. Too little furniture may make it difficult for potential buyers to visualize how to properly use a space. If possible, visit model homes if possible to see how furniture should be arranged.
Depersonalize Your Home
Potential buyers should be able to imagine themselves living in your house. That is difficult if there are a lot of family photos, souvenirs and trophies around. If you have to, rent a storage unit to put away your personal items. Clear away all clutter. Look at all of your shelves, counters, drawers, closets and in your garage. Remove as much clutter as possible. Clear, open spaces will be much more inviting to potential buyers.
Bathrooms
Clean or replace bath and sink fixtures. Showers and bathtubs should be spotless. If necessary, hire someone to clean your home thoroughly in preparation for the sale.
Painting
Paint your house if there is too much dirt on your walls, an outdated color scheme or bright paint colors. Painting your house in neutral colors will give your walls a fresh new look and will appeal to the largest number of buyers.
Carpets
If your carpet is old or worn, or an very outdated style you may want to consider replacing it with an inexpensive, neutral color. If not, hire a carpet cleaner to give your carpets a thorough cleaning with spot removal treatment.
Pets
If you have cats, make sure that you empty litter boxes every day. If you have a dog, keep it outdoors as much as possible during the selling period. Sprinkle carpet freshener on the carpet to help eliminate pet odors.
