Skip to content

Preparing Your Home

Selling? This is Where you Begin:

Think about it. Consider who might buy your home. A single person? A family? A first-time buyer? A retiree? Then consider what attributes your prospective buyer is looking for in a home. Finally look objectively at your home and determine which of those qualities your home has and which it does not.

The combination of existing attributes and buyer requirements will determine the eventual sale price of your home.

To the extent possible prepare your home by increasing the positives and decreasing the negatives.

Unless your likely buyer is a contractor or an individual looking for a fixer-upper, consider eliminating any major items such as roof repair or other major structural damage. These are items that most buyers and their lenders will want remedied before closing.

If you cannot afford to perform this work you should have reports, bids and estimates for each project as part of your disclosure documents so that buyers can assess the amount of money they will need to undertake the work themselves.

You may also choose to ‘stage’ your home. Such staging is designed to maximize the home’s appeal to buyers. Staging can be as basic as re-arranging furniture or as complex as new paint and carpets. As you prepare to market your home, remember that you are showing off the existing attributes of your home.  Visit open houses of similar properties to see how they compare. These homes are your competition and you want your home to look better then them.

Following These Simple Rules:

Keep it clean.

All of it. Sweep. Mop. Scrub. Potential buyers are not interested in your dirty house.

Keep it inoffensive

Neutral colors are key. You may have fantastic, funky taste in art and design, but the houses that don’t shock sell faster.

Keep it simple

Extra furniture and clutter are a challenge for many potential buyers. By limiting clutter and excess furniture you allow the potential buyer to look beyond the existing decorations and see themselves in the home.

Keep it fresh

Smoke, garlic, wet dog, offensive or strong odors will be an immediate turnoff for anyone viewing your home. Air your home out before showings and use mild or unscented room fresheners to keep it smelling fresh

Keep it cozy

Even the largest mansion can seem warm and inviting with a little light and some heat. Turn the thermostat up and lights on before showings so that buyers feel very comfortable when they are looking at your home.