f you have been watching at closing time and delay the
the news lately you have sale of the house. You can also
probably heard the real now offer your house with a pre
estate bubble has burst. inspection, letting prospective
Properties around the country are buyers know what items have been
sitting on the market much longer fixed.
than in the past. Bad news for
sellers, good news for buyers. 2. Clutter. Get rid of it! The
With the downturn in the real number one turn off for a buyer
estate market, what should you do is walking into a house and
if you need to sell your home? seeing lots of clutter. Clean out
your office. Pack away the kids
If you are realistic in your toys. Clean out the basement and
asking price and properly prepare garage. Throw it out, pack it
you home for sale, there is no away, and get it out of the
reason you house shouldn’t sell. house. Empty out the closets.
Set a timeline of when you need Buyers want to see lots of closet
to sell by and start preparing space. No matter how big your
today. The top 10 things you closets are, buyers won’t be able
should do include: to tell if it is jammed full.
1. Have a professional home 3. De-Personalize. A buyer has a
inspection. Usually this is done vision of how their things are
on the back end, after someone going to fit in. That vision can
has made an offer. By having it get distracted if all they see is
done yourself you can find out family photos and all your
ahead of time all the little collectibles. Pack it away and
problems that need to be taken make your house neutral.
care of. Often it is these little
things that can be a deal breaker 4. Clean! No one wants to buy a
dirty house. A double spring wash your deck and give it a new
cleaning is in order. Clean the coat of sealer or stain. Same
grease and grime out of the with a wooded fence if it needs
kitchen. Get rid of the mold in it.
the bathroom. Clean the dirt and
cobwebs out of the basement. Dust 7. Carpets and floors. Buyers
in places you haven’t dusted in love wood floors! If you have
10 years. Clean all the windows. original wood floors covered by
Air out your house. A stale and carpet, consider taking out the
musty smell is a real turn off. carpet and having the wood floors
Keep it fresh and make it refinished. Replace old, worn or
sparkle. outdated carpet. Newer carpet
should be professionally cleaned.
5. Paint. One of the cheapest New wood floors or vinyl floors
ways to freshen up the inside of can be an inexpensive upgrade.
a house is with a fresh coat of
paint. A good neutral color will 8. Kitchens and bathrooms.
do wonders. Patch the holes in Kitchens can make or break a
the wall while you are at it. sale. A total remodel usually is
Don’t forget “ceiling white”. not necessary. Depending on your
Another fairly inexpensive item budget, you can paint the
that can make a room standout is cabinets, have them refaced or
by adding crown molding. simply add new hardware. New
laminate countertops are
6. Landscape. Start with picking inexpensive. Replace appliances
up the yard and any clutter. Trim that are old and outdated. Make
up overgrown bushes and trees. use of the space if you have room
Repair or replace any broken for an eat-in kitchen. Replace
steps, retaining walls, gutters, the sink and faucet if it is old.
concrete, fences or decks. Power Update the lighting. Smelly dingy
bathrooms are a turn off. New 10. Set a realistic price.
paint, lighting and an updated Pricing your home 1-2 percent
vanity will impress buyers. less than similar homes in your
Regrouting old tile will make it area will help close the sale.
look like new. The higher your price over
comparable homes the longer it
9. Staging. There are will sit on the market.
professionals that will come in
and arrange your furniture to Start preparing your home for
maximize your space. Old ratty sale today and you will have a
sofas should be move out. Clear buyer in no time. Not only will
out all unnecessary furniture. you sell your home quicker but by
You want your home to flow and following these 10 steps you will
look comfortable, inviting and probably get more money than you
clutter free. would if you did nothing.
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Read more articles by:
Tom Smith
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