9 Things you can do NOW to get your home ready to sell!

Are you planning on selling your home this summer? There are things you can be doing while you are quarantined at home to get ready for home to go on the market. If you want to get top dollar, now’s the time to put in some elbow grease!

1. REPAIR                                              

Take a look around your home with an objective eye and fix anything that is obviously broken including chipped counters, broken or missing cabinet handles or doors, leaky faucets, etc. Pull out the inspection report from when you purchased the home. Now’s the time to dust it off and accomplish the punch list of things you had every intention of repairing. Review the things that you didn’t get around to while living in the home and repair anything that may set off red flags. If an inspector in the past found those things, you can guarantee an inspector will notice them again this time around!

2. SCRUB & SPARKLE                       

You may think that the buyer won’t notice dust bunnies behind the desk or the streaks on the windows, but the devil is in the details. If you want your home to get top dollar, you need to put in some elbow grease! Wash your windows inside and out. Clean windows let in lots of great light and make your rooms shine! Wax your floors, put a fresh coat of paint on your trim, clean or re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks.

3. DE CLUTTER                             

Buyers want to be able to see themselves living in the house without having to wade through things are distinctively your taste. Just think, by packing clutter up now, it’s that much less to pack when your home sells quickly! You may love your collection of decorative plates from your Great Aunt Millie scattered on shelves throughout your house, but most buyers will NOT! Box it up. Clean off and stage bookshelves, clear off all counters and table surfaces – kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms.

4. FRONT PORCH APPEAL               

This is the first thing a buyer will see when they come to your home. First impressions are everything and the front porch can make or break a home for a buyer. Scrub or repaint your front door, clear out all of the cobwebs in you front porch light and corners, invest in a new doormat, create a new front porch seating area.

5. CLEAN YOUR GARAGE             

Organize your garage to give the impression of ample space. hang bikes on the walls, put in shelves and racks to organize gardening tools, dweep out your garage. If you don’t park in your garage, clean the clutter so there’s a space where the cars would go.

6. CLOSETS & CUPBOARDS               

Arrange your clothes by color and type. Button all shirts and face them in the same direction. Consider purchasing some inexpensive shelving that makes your closets look simple to organize. If your closet it overstuffed, remove half of the items and box them up. Tidy up inside all of your cupboards including medicine cabinets and under your sinks. Potential buyers will open everywhere to see what it looks like. If you are organized and overly neat in your “hidden spaces” buyers will assume you take pride and good care of the home. Organize spices by size or name. Turn all coffee cup handles in the same direction. Stack matching plates and bowls together. Pack up your mismatched items and save them for your next home!

7. FURNITURE                                     

Most homes show better with less furniture and other items. Rent a storage unit and fill it with your extra pieces of furniture. Remove bookcases or extra storage units opening up the room and de-cluttering the space. Take out the extra leaf from your dining room table to make the space appear larger. If you have a bedroom without a bed, consider creating a “made bed” with an air mattress and a bed frame.

8. LAUNDRY AREA                   

Add some style to your laundry area by adding bins and baskets. Create a folding surface to show off how functional the area can be.

9. REMOVE & REPLACE                 

Remove & replace any attached items that you do not intend to leave with the home. If there is no way that you are leaving your dining room chandelier that’s been in the family for generations for the next owners, then TAKE IT DOWN and replace it with a different lighting fixture. You don’t want a buyer to fall in love with the house because of the chandelier only to find out it’s not included in the purchase.

As always, the best way to know if you home is ready to show is to consult with a real estate professional. Let’s virtually walk your home together and find ways we can get it ready to sell quickly for top dollar!

317-698-9498

klewis@c21scheetz.com

KimLewisRealEstate.com

Find me on Facebook!