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Preparing Your Home For Sale
If you want to sell your home in the quickest possible time
for the highest possible price, you need to show it off in
its best light. That means fixing, cleaning, painting and
repairing.
It's important to consider that potential buyers often see
your home only for a few brief minutes and then only as
one of many homes visited during a day of touring properties.
They usually don't have time to learn about the wonderful
features that you know about, because you live there. Rather,
buyers may only get a quick walk-through and then they're
off to the next home. In order to catch a buyer's eye, and
to convince them to make a substantial offer, your property
must stand out.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that, because it's in
good-enough shape for you, it's okay to show to others. That
being said, think about the following tips:
Serious Home Preparation If your home is more than five years old, you will want to
give serious thought to rejuvenating the interior. This will
add perceived value when potential buyers walk through. Some
of the commonly suggested items you will want to consider
rehabilitating are:
- Paint interior walls
Over time, wear and tear tends to leave scratch marks on
walls. If the paint is more than a year old, washing will
only tend to make these marks look worse. A coat of water-based
paint, easily applied with rollers, can enliven an entire
room… and home. Sometimes you can avoid painting the ceilings,
if they look good. If not, give them a coat as well.
- Clean up kitchen and baths
Buyers should pay special attention here. You want your
sinks, counter tops and floors to look spotless. Don't leave
food or dirty dishes out when showing the property. If the
home is dated, you may want to spend the extra money to
renovate your kitchen and baths. Often you can get back
dollar-for-dollar, or more, for money spent in these areas.
- Remove extra wall coverings and
furniture
You want your home to look spacious, not cluttered. In addition,
if you have wood floors, consider having them re-varnished
or at least polished. As for items on the fridge such as
magnets or personal items on the top, those should be removed
as well.
- Wash windows!
One of the most overlooked items by home-sellers. A clean
window makes all the difference in the world.
Added Touches for Improving Your Home's Appearance
Smart home sellers do at least the following to their properties
before showing it to anyone:
- Plant flowers
Colorful flowers around the front entrance to your home
can greatly improve impressions. You can do this on a weekend
for a small amount of money.
- Refresh your homes exterior
By re-painting or re-staining the front of your home, especially
your front door, it will give the entire house a fresh,
new look. Again, you can do this over a weekend
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