What Should I Do to Prepare My Home for Sale?

This may be the most common question that is asked at or before my listing appointments. Actually it is a great question. Marketing brings potential clients to your home and that is one of the main jobs of a Realtor. However, if your home is priced above market value, or if the home is not properly staged and prepared, then you are spinning your proverbial wheels.

Don’t spend $1 unless it will net you $2. In other words, major projects may not be the best thing on which to spend your money. Start with those items that you already know need to be repaired. Remember those nagging things about which you have been procrastinating? Fix them now, because they will come up on inspection and you will have to anyway. Now take a look at other things. Is the water heater on its last legs? How is the carpet? There is no such thing as a carpet allowance anymore.

If you do give a credit it goes only to closing costs and buyers cannot see beyond dirty, worn or odd-colored carpet. There are companies which will tune up kitchen cabinets. You can vastly improve the look of kitchen cabinets without replacing or painting them. Spruce up your landscape with new plants and bark.

Stage your home for sale. There are different levels of staging and many companies in the area that can help. Full-on, whole-house staging can be provided which will make your home super-inviting and looking like a model home. Partial staging by replacing one or two rooms of furniture does wonders. And, for a nominal fee, many staging professionals will come into your home and rearrange furniture to make best use of the space, as well as recommend positioning of flowers, pictures, accessories, etc.

Lights and music are sooo helpful. As a buyer’s agent, I will never understand why sellers will not take the time to have lights on, music and maybe some good smells. Remember buying is an emotional as well as a logical process.