Now that you have decided to sell your home, there are a few things you can do to make your home more appealing to buyers in today's market. Look at your home through the eyes of a buyer, highlight its strengths, focus on its features and bring out its best.
1. Order a pre-sale inspection - A qualified home inspector will be able to determine if your home has any trouble areas that you can address prior to listing your home for sale. Your home will stand out from others when buyer's know that an inspection has been completed.
2. Make appropiate repairs - Not any major improvements but perhaps you have been meaning to fix that small crack or repair the broken screen, now would be the perfect time to attack those small projects.
3. Neutralize your decor - a few gallons of paint is a low-cost way to polish up your home's appearance. Neutral colors suggest newness and cleanliness.
4. Un-clutter - By removing clutter you a doing one of two things. First you are getting a jump start on packing, by packing your least-used items now, you'll have less to do later and secondly removing clutter will highlight the spaciousness of your home.
5. Remove family photos - When preparing to sell your home, it's important to remove your personal items to make your house a home that future buyers can make into their own home.
6. Wash your windows and screens - This will help get more light into your home's interior.
7. Upgrade your interior lighting - Another low-cost way to give your home an updated appearance.
8. Make the bathrooms feel luxurious - Put away the old towels and personal toiletry items and add a new shower curtain, new towels, candles or potpourri.
9. Spruce up the exterior - Trim bushes so they don't block your home's features, plant flowers, repair any cracks in the driveway, upgrade your outside lighting.
10. Owner's manuals and warranties - Gather up all the manuals and warranties for your appliances and have them in one convenient place for the future buyer.
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Maria Mastrolonardo is a Realtor Associate with RE/MAX of Naperville and has been assisting home-buyers and home-sellers since 1997. Maria can be reached at (630) 248-6077 or email: mmastrolonardo@remax.net
Servicing the towns of: Naperville, Aurora, Lisle, Plainfield, Bolingbrook, Warrenville, Wheaton, Woodridge or other surrounding areas.
Maria Mastrolonardo is a full time Illinois Realtor specializing in Short Sales, has been helping home-buyers and home-sellers since 1997. Can help you with any questions or information regarding Short Sales for the Western Suburbs of Chicago which includes but not limited to; Naperville, Aurora, Downers Grove, Lisle, Plainfield, Bolingbrook, Warrenville, Wheaton and Woodridge.
To reach me call/text at (630) 248-6077 or mmastrolonardo@gmail.com
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Maria - Great list post ! These are 10 great recommendations for sellers - they are simple and straight-foward. And not expensive at all. Great presentation as well with the photo and bolding of the list. I also really love the footer which should be great for SEO. Awesome blog !
Chris - Thanks so much! This challenge has been great for me, holding me accountable to make sure I get the assignments done.
Maria, great list. A pre-sale inspection is something that I have been advocating for quite some time...
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Thanks Michael! I believe a pre-sale inspection is great for this market.
Maria - I like the whole list, but washing your windows and screens is a great suggestion. I always suggest people get the dust out of their garage as well and clean up any cobwebs - they gather there so fast.
Matt - Great suggestion! I always tend to overlook the garage :)
Maria - Most people do, until some guy like me comes to look at it and says "ewwwwwwwwwwww."
Maria: Fine post; great ideas! Now more than ever, the sellers need to take ownership and get their place staged to sell.
Maria - Good tips. I also have them really spruce up their front door. After all that's where the buyer is going to stand for the few moments it takes for their agent to get the door open. Love the gathering of warranties. I wa sin a bank owned foreclosre yesterday, and there was a huge box of all the warranty stuff... even floorplans. It gave us good feeling for the former owner.