Preparing Your Home For Sale

As a home seller, the initial launch of your home for sale is a very important event.  We want to make sure that all our clients give a great first impression to all home buyers who enter their homes.  Here are some things you should look at when preparing to list your home for sale.

Home-improvements: Our local real estate agents and home stagers can provide you information on those items that provide the greatest return on getting your home sold quickly and for making a strong first impression.

Timing: We usually recommend to list your home for sale on a Thursday to maximize exposure to the weekend home buyers.  Most people searching for homes will tour homes for sale on the weekends, so going live right before increases the chance these homebuyers will see your home.

Home Pricing: In a real estate market that is trending flat to down, it is important to price your home accurately to ensure you get your home sold in a reasonable period of time.

Photos: We work with you to get the best photos of your home and its surroundings to ensure it shows well on all the internet real estate marketing sites.

Open houses: We provide some additional exposure to your home for sale, by holding your house open for the public and for local real estate agents to preview.

real estate agent

Preparing Your Home For Sale

When presenting your home for sale to prospective home buyers, first impressions are crucial. Home buyers begin judging your home the moment they see it, and generally they prefer homes that are well-maintained, clean and clutter free; homes they can picture themselves living in. That is why home improvements, particularly if they address the anticipated needs of home buyers, can boost your home's appeal and allow you to get more money for it.

Preparing The Exterior

  • Mow and rake the lawn, trim hedges, weed and edge gardens
  • Sweep sidewalks and driveway, pick up any litter
  • Repair gutters and eaves, touch up exterior paint
  • Plant extra flowers for color, or place potted plants beside the front door
  • Clean or paint front door, polish front door hardware, ensure doorbell works

Preparing The Interior

  • Clean and tidy the home entrance; clear stairs, halls and store all excess furniture
  • Brighten interiors with fresh, light-toned paint
  • Brighten rooms by installing high wattage light bulbs and turning them on
  • Shampoo carpets, clean and wax floors
  • Organize kitchen countertops, removing appliances if necessary to make it look spacious
  • Clean and freshen bathrooms, put out clean towels, minimize clutter
  • Clean mirrors and windows so they sparkle
  • Organize and clean garage and basement
  • Perform necessary minor repairs and touch-ups to walls, windows, fixtures, etc.

Tips For Home Showings

  • Be absent so buyers feel more comfortable making comments
  • Light the fireplace, open the drapes, play quiet background music
  • Keep pets outdoors

These are just a few ideas to get you started on moving towards a successful home sale. We know what today's buyers are looking for and can provide more ideas that will maximize your home appeal to real estate buyers. Remember, a few easy and inexpensive improvements can produce big returns on your investment.

See our Compensation Policy HERE