Let’s Prep Your Home to Sell
If you’ve ever sold a home before, there is a good chance that you had your home in the absolute best shape it was ever in when it was time to go to market. For some reason we all really like to wait until we are about to transfer our home to a new owner to do all of the projects and to-do list items we knew were pending. Why? Who knows… What I do know though, is you likely know what your home needs to look its best. However, as someone who tours homes regularly, I can come by and help you figure out how we can check every box that we need to check. We will go room by room and figure out a game plan.
While we will go over your home specifically and make a custom list, here is a general breakdown that can help you get started!
INTERIOR ROOMS
Clean or paint walls, trim, and ceilings
Clean or replace upholstery and fabrics including: furniture, curtains, bedding, and rugs
Remove excess furniture and clutter
Ensure lights and outlets are working
Clear coffee table, end tables, and countertops
Organize cabinets and closets as much as possible
Clean oven, microwave, and appliances
Check for leaks or drips and fix if necessary
Scrub floors, trim work, and windowsills
Re-caulk any bad caulking throughout
FRONT ENTRY & LANDSCAPING
Touch up or re-paint any painted surfaces outside like your front door, trim, mailbox, or sheds
Keep your lawn mowed and trees and shrubs trimmed
Refresh any mulch in your landscaping or gardens
Repair or remove any damaged trellises or planters
Fix or replace any damaged shingles, brick, or siding
Replace broken windows, shutters, screens, and door frames
Pressure wash to remove dirt, grime, peeling paint, and mildew
Close the garage door and clean oil stains from the driveway
If you’re able to get through this list and feel confident that your property looks good, you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of the game when we chat.
So now that we have your home ready, lets get ready for some actual showings. Here we need to keep in mind 4 of the 5 senses and think about how they are affecting our potential future buyers.
DAY OF SHOWINGS
SIGHT: Remove any daily clutter that you can. Keep an empty tote available for any dog or kid toys that you can use to quickly pick up and temporarily store in a nearby closet. If there is any extra furniture or décor, store it away until we get under contract.
SMELL: Don’t make your home overly fragrant, but make sure it smells fresh and clean. We don’t want to leave candles burning while you are gone, but you can use fresh or clean smelling diffusers, plug-ins, or room spray. We want it to smell inviting and appealing to the masses.
HEARING: Make sure that you turn off any tvs, radios, etc. and make sure that your windows are closed and locked.
TOUCH: While buyers probably aren’t actually touching your whole home, we want to make sure that your surfaces look clean to the touch. Clean appliances, countertops, and make sure your floors are swept, vacuumed, and mopped. Set your thermostat to a comfortable temperature and turn on fans in any rooms that may typically feel stuffy.
If you follow this list, you’re golden. You’ll likely still be living in your home when potential buyers are coming through, so you won’t be able to make it look vacant. And that’s ok! But let’s put our best foot forward and get your home sold!
