1. Finish the "Honey Do List"
Just about every homeowner has a string of little repairs that never quite get done. Now's the time. Fix the screens, oil that squeak, patch the cracks, paint the trim. Stuff that you have long since stop noticing could be shouting "Deferred Maintenance" to every potential buyer.
2. Get Inspected
A pre-sale inspection can help in two ways, says real estate columnist Tom Kelly. Professional inspections can identify problems that could thwart a sale in time to fix them. And if there are no major problems, he said, an inspection can publicize that fact to skittish buyers.
3.Pack Up The Clutter
"Clutter eats equity," said real-estate broker Barb Schwartz, CEO of StagedHomes.com and a pioneer of the concept of professionally preparing houses for sale. Too much stuff makes rooms look smaller and focuses buyers' attention on your possessions rather than the home you're trying to sell. That's why many professional stagers recommend removing as much as a third of your things to better show off rooms and closets.
4. Depersonalize & Neutralize
The first items that should go in those packing boxes: family photos, collections and just about anything else that says "you". Streamline your artwork and consider toning down bold decorating statements, said Ilyce Glink, author of "50 Simples Steps You Can Take to Sell Your Home Faster and for More Money in Any Market." That means neutral shades if you need to repaint walls or replace carpets.
5. Clean Like a Fiend
"I mean Q-Tip Clean," said Schwarz, who recommends taking a cotton swab to faucets and fixtures, scouring fingerprints from all of the switch plates, shining windows until they're spotless and vacuuming up every last dog hair from the baseboards. "You should be able to eat off of the kitchen floor, the bathroom floor." You will need to banish suspect smells as well; you don't want your house to become known as real-estate circles as "the cat place".
6. Stage the Rooms
Stand in the doorway to find each room's focal point, and use furniture placement to highlight that. The back of your sofa shouldn't block the view of the fireplace, for example, and the dining room table shouldn't be sharing space with a stair climber.
7. Tend to the Floors
Keeping them spotless won't help if they're dated, worn or impossibly stained. You shouldn't spend a fortune installing hardwood or tile, though, since you're unlikely to recoup the cost. Look for compromises that can improve the home's appearance without busting your wallet.
Carpets should be steam cleaned to see if they're salvageable. If not, you may be able to reduce the costs of replacements by offering to do some of the work, such as removing the the old carpet and furniture.
8. Kick Up Curb Appeal
By now, you probably realize the garden gnomes are a no-no. Buy you may not realize how many sales you're losing before potential buyers even get to the front door. Given the pressure to make a good first impression, you'll need to do more than trim back the hedges and plant a few pansies. "Hire a professional landscaper to clean up the leaves, plan some fall flowers, trim the bushes and trees, and really manicure the lawn," Glink suggested. "If your front walkway is cracked, now might be the time to replace it."
9. Pick the Right Publicist
If you're working with an agent, you'll want one who can really sell. That means somebody who knows your neighborhood intimately and who's enthusiastic about your home. That also means someone other agents want to work with; someone who is too abrasive or who isn't trustworthy won't help your cause. If you're going to try to sell your home yourself, make sure you're up for the job. Hawking a home can be hard work.
10. Set the Right PriceA seller may think she's just testing the market with a high price tag, assuming buyers will at least make an offer, but buyers may assume she's unreasonable and move on. Your goal should be a fair price-- something that's reasonable given the price of other homes in your area.
"Buyers who are actively searching for a fairly-priced home," Glink said, "will pounce on what they perceive is fair value."
Honours Properties
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