Things You Need To Do Before You Sell Your Home

If you’re thinking about putting your home up for sale, keep in mind that you definitely have some competition. Local realtors say, there are things you need to do before you slap that “for sale” sign in your yard.

First impressions count. That’s why your yard needs to be inviting. Trim back the bushes and trees, especially if they block views from the windows and make your home difficult to see from the street.

Landscaping Must Do’s:

*Keep the lawn mowed, preferably on the diagonal.
*Plant yellow flowers such as marigolds along the walk or by the front door. The color yellow sells.
*Wash the exterior windows.
*Paint or replace the front door and buy new hardware.
*Power spray the house to get rid of dirt and cobwebs.
*Buy a new welcome mat for the front steps.
*Paint or replace the mailbox.
*Paint your house number on the curb or buy a plaque displaying your house number and install near the entry.
*Wash or replace a front porch light fixtures.

De-cluttering Must Do’s:

Ok, now that your yard looks inviting, you need to do some serious de-cluttering. Many homes contain too much furniture. You may benefit from removing 2 to 3 pieces of furniture from each room. Less furniture will make the rooms appear bigger. You can pay about $100 a month to place the furniture into storage or simply stack it neatly in the garage for free.

*Remove the bulk of personal photographs from tables and walls. Patch holes in the walls or hang non-personalized artwork over the existing nails. (It’s ok, to keep a few up, after all, you still live there.)
*Clean out the closets and store non-essential items.
*Rearrange your kitchen pantry, kitchen cabinets and bedroom closets in an orderly manner.

Deep Cleaning Must Do’s:

*You can hire a professional cleaning crew for about $300 or do it yourself for free. Be sure to wash the inside of the windows.
*Rent a carpet steamer and clean the carpets.
*Polish all wood / ceramic flooring.
*Wash all light fixture coverings and ceiling fan blades.

After doing all this cleaning, your home should spell great. If not, light a few candles, and bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Buyers will not only think it smells great, they’ll picture themselves living in such a clean and happy home!