 | The first thing is curb appeal. Many people won't even enter your home if it
looks badly kept from the street.
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| So clean up the trash, move the boat, put the kid's toys and bikes in the garage, cut the
grass, invest in some pretty flowers and clean up the paint work.
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| Many buyers will look in the closets and wipe their fingers in the kitchen
cabinets. I'm not quite sure why, but if the closets look overcrowded or the
cabinets are dusty, this will be a negative for them.
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| People also like to look inside closets. So remove excess items so they look
spacious and keep them tidy.
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| Inside your home, keep it clean and tidy and remove excess furniture that
makes a room look crowded. Vacuum the rugs and repaint as needed.
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| The average home buyer has very little imagination as to what a room
"could" look like.
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| Remove personal items such as family pictures. The idea is to help your
potential buyer paint a picture in their head of themselves living in your home.
So make it easy for them.
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| Try to get someone to look after the family pet and deodorize the rugs from
doggy or cat smells. Even if you have got used to the smell, your buyer won't
be, unless they have a similar smell in their own home. At the very least ensure
that litter boxes are kept fresh.
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| If the house is vacant and there are no valuables inside, we recommend
leaving the blinds pulled so people can see inside if they stop when driving
buy. And put in some auto-on night lights to give some light in the rooms after
dark.
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| Don't Over Improve. Unless you live in a community where such things are standard, forget about the upgraded kitchen cabinets and don't worry about hanging that expensive wallpaper. The folks moving in will probably have different taste from you.
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| But Don't Neglect Needed Repairs. Repair or replacement of your home's
fundamental systems-whether a malfunctioning dishwasher or faulty air
conditioning system-will probably prove essential to your sale. Cosmetic
improvements like painting and replacement outworn carpeting are also critical.
If there are broken shelves, cracked windows, creaky doors or closets, repair
them.
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| Your real estate professional will be able to give you further helpful advice |
on showing your home at it's best.
