So you’ve decided to sell your home and now it’s time to get it ready for sale, but you don’t know where to begin. This is a normal concern for first-time home sellers. Trust me, I know. I was once a first-timer myself.
Hi, everyone. I’m Michele Marina with Atlantica East Properties & Associates, and I know how to get your home Instagram worthy. Here are five tips to prepare your home for sale.
Number one, plan ahead. Walk through each room of your home with your Realtor, interior designer, or stager, to identify areas of concern. It may be wise to get a professional home inspection to see if any repairs are needed. And if they are needed, hire a contractor to handle the major items.
Number two, clean, declutter and depersonalize. Make sure the entire home is clean. Clean, clean, clean to include the tile, kitchen, and baths, hardwood floors, dust bunnies, carpets, drapes, even windowsills. Consider holding a yard sale or donate or trash anything that you don’t need. A fresh coat of paint on the walls does wonders to revive the look of a room. Oh, and choose a neutral color. Remove all small appliances, toys, magazines, family photos, personal collections, medication and pet items. Be sure to secure valuable items, including jewelry and cash.
Number three, show off your home’s best features. It’s like us, they have features too. And to do this you have to remove the rugs to show hardwood floors, maybe pull back the drapes to brighten and showcase the beautiful exterior views. Stage the front porch or deck with furniture and potted plants, and clean up the backyard and pool areas.
Number four, appeal to the senses when showing your home to a potential buyer. You want them to have a great experience. Bake cookies or burn scented candles, install higher wattage light bulbs to brighten rooms, open curtains and blinds, and definitely open windows to let fresh air in.
And number five, maximize that curb appeal. Check the exterior of your home and paint it if necessary. You may wish to power wash siding and windows as well. Repair any cracks in the driveway, in the walkways, clean those gutters and downspouts, and take care of all yard work such as mow, fertilize and water the lawn. And don’t forget to trim shrubs and trees and rake the leaves.
The list is long, but well worth it in the end. Contact me if you’d like a list of my preferred vendors to help you through this process to get rid of any of those items. And as always, always remember to do the right thing when it’s the right thing to do.