Getting Your Home Ready To Sell

Today we will break down the process of getting ready to sell and what has a high impact on buyers.

1. DECLUTTER, Declutter, Declutter. All of that stuff we accumulated over the years has to go either to storage or yard sale or give it away. We cannot stress this enough.  Take at least one piece of furniture out of each room to open it up.  Clear out the basement and attic. You are looking to make your home look as big and wide open as possible.  Clear away the tables except for essentials.

2. FRESH PAINT. Nothing makes a home look cleaner and ready to move in like a fresh coat of paint in all the rooms. It dosen't have to be all bone white color but stay away from some of the brighter colors.

3. INSPECT. Walk around your home inside and outside like an inspector would and be prepared to have some of the defects  repaired or give a cash credit at the settlement table to the buyer.  Be informed about the strong points and weak points of your home. Every inspector finds something in a home that they focus on for one reason or another. They are professionals and are trying to protect both the buyer and themselves from litigation. You can offer a free home warranty to the buyer to make them feel a little more comfortable about the responsibilities of home ownership.

4. CURB APPEAL. Have your home sparkling on the outside and have flowers and plants evident and have your landscape well taken care of.  That is the first impression of your home and it is a lasting one. A new or freshly painted front door and windows goes a long way to creating a good impression.

5. PRESENTATION.  For your appointments have the lights on, curtains open to let in as much light as possible, have the home straightened and clean, pets toys and stuff put away,  and have some information about the neighborhood, schools, community groups, restaurants, etc available with your realtors presentation packet. Get your Realtor to post high quality photos of your home on all his websites and the multiple listing service. 90% of buyers start looking on the web and they base their impressions on the price and the photos of the home. Without a fair price and superior photos your showings will suffer.

6. PRICE IT RIGHT. Listen to your realtor and try to keep the price the same or a little lower than the competition. Nothing drives traffic to a home like an attractive price. Try not to be the highest priced home in the neighborhood unless you have a long list of upgrades that were done and it is absolutely move in. This is a tough market right now and the buyers and their agents are well informed on the settled prices in your area.


If you spend a little money on paint and repairs and put some sweat into getting your home ready you will reap the rewards with lots of showings and positive feedback from the agents and buyers . Word spreads quickly on a nice home ready to move into. We hope this helps you in getting your home ready.