97 Easy Ways To Make Your Home Sell Faster
If you are thinking of
selling your home, there are a number of things you can do to improve the
overall impression made by your home.
But first ---You must learn
to look at your home through the eyes of the buyer.
1) Open the draperies, pull up the shades and let in the sunlight.
2) Create a positive
mood. Turn on all lights - day or
night. Open the
curtains during the day.
3) Install higher wattage
light bulbs to show your home brightly -- in its
best light. Turn on all lights.
4) Remove all clutter from
each room to visually enlarge them.
5) Create the illusion of
spaciousness.
6) If you have a fireplace,
highlight it in your decorating.
7) Keep
your home dusted and vacuumed at all times.
8) Have a family emergency
"game plan" to get the home in order quickly if
necessary.
9) Air out your home one
half hour before the showing if possible.
10) Lightly spray rooms with
fresheners and ensure any aroma has a chance
to diffuse before the buyer
arrives.
11) Create a master
"suite" effect in your decorating.
12) Make sure that beds are
made and the linens and curtains are fresh and
clean.
13) Organize your closets,
remove unnecessary items and put them in
storage.
14) Bathrooms should always
be kept spotlessly clean.
15) Do not leave towels
around and wipe down the shower areas after each
use.
16) Recaulk
if the caulking is not sparkling white!
17) Put out fresh towels and
decorative soap for showings.
18) Set the scene by setting
the table! Highlight the potential of
your
dining room by setting a grand
dining table!
19) The kitchen should
always be kept spotlessly clean.
20) Expand your counter
space by removing small appliances.
21) Highlight an eat-in-area
in your kitchen with a table set for dinner.
22) Shampoo all carpets and
vacuum them daily.
23) If the carpet does not
clean up well you should REPLACE IT!
24) Improve traffic flow
through every room and create a feeling of
spaciousness in every room by removing
unnecessary furniture,
knick-knacks, hobby items, children's
items, etc.
25) However, try to avoid
creating a "sterile" looking environment.
26) Remove all grease from
range hoods, ovens, stovetops, walls, etc.
27) Clean rubbish out of the
fireplace and keep it clean in the winter.
28) Highlight the fireplace
in your decorating.
29) Remove all unnecessary
items from the garage, tool shed, closets, and
especially from the storage area if
you have one.
30) Rent a storage area for
these items or have a yard sale. You're
going
to move anyway -- start now!
31) Straighten, tidy, and
remove unnecessary items from all closets.
Put
unnecessary items in storage.
32) FIX THE FRONT DOOR
33) Invest in a new doormat.
34) Make
sure the front door, storm door, screen door, etc. work
wonderfully!
35) Create the feeling of a
spacious entry area by using decorating
accents, mirrors, rugs, etc. and by
removing all unnecessary clutter.
36) Regardless of the
season, tackle spring-cleaning. Clean
everything in
your home from top to bottom! --
from garage to
37) Wash all windows -
inside and out!
38) Curtains should be
fresh, clean and attractive.
39) Clean all light bulbs,
light fixtures and chandeliers to brighten the
home.
40) Remove all smoke odors,
pet odors, and odors resulting from hobbies.
41) Straighten, tidy, and
remove unnecessary items from all closets.
Create the feeling of
spacious closets. Put all unnecessary
items in
storage or invest in under-the-bed
storage boxes.
42) Remove posters and
adhesive from walls and doors and putty any holes
resulting from nails or other
mishaps.
43) Depersonalize teenager's
rooms and decorate in a neutral temperament.
44) Clean screens or
shutters in your
45) Paint all inside walls
with off-white paint. Use two or more
coats to
cover bold, bright or dark walls.
46) All walls should be
painted, not just washed. This will
brighten the
home and make it look bigger.
47) Repair or replace all
doors, closet doors, and/or windows and screens
so that they open with ease.
48) Repair or replace
banisters and handrails.
49) Repair or replace broken
tiles on walls, floors or in showers/tubs.
50) Repair or replace loose
or dangling wallpaper.
51) If there are signs of
water or structural damage in any of your rooms,
it may be necessary to obtain
a structural engineer's report.
52) Replace all toilet bowls
if you cannot get them spotlessly clean.
53) Replace shower curtains
and keep them clean.
54) Replace the washers in
faucets and remove rust stains from basins.
55) Water and prune all
plants.
56) Use plants in
transitional areas of your home between inside and out.
57) Either get rid of dying
plants or keep them out of sight.
58) Remove any excess
extension cords and exposed wires.
59) Open doors to areas you
want the potential buyer to see such as
walk-in-closets, pantries, etc.
60) Close all other closet
doors and cabinets.
61) Make the most of your
storage potential.
62) Organize storage spaces.
63) Add visual appeal to
stairways.
64) Keep the yard mowed,
raked, fertilized and watered at all times!
65) Remove all toys,
bicycles, tools, unsightly patio furniture, trash,
etc. from the yard.
66) Trees and shrubs should be
pruned and trimmed.
67) Lawns and gardens should
be weeded at all times.
68) Use flowering plants to
dress the yard, walkways, and patio.
69) All hoses and garden
equipment should be neatly out of sight.
70) Outdoor furniture should
be kept clean and/or repainted if necessary.
71) Ant mounds, wasp nests,
and spider webs should be vanquished.
72) Mailboxes should be
evaluated with a critical eye.
73) Paint and repair the
mailbox or replace it if necessary.
74) Make all those minor
repairs to the exterior.
75) Porches, steps,
verandas, balconies,
extensions of the house should be kept
uncluttered, swept and in good
condition.
76) Paint all entrance
doors.
77) Shades and awnings
should be in good condition. Replace if
the color
has faded. Remove windsocks.
78) Create an outside
living/dining area with furniture and plants.
79) Keep trashcans
deodorized, covered and out of sight.
80) Highlight your pool
area, water garden, etc. with lighting, benches,
planters, flowering plants, etc.
81) Take nighttime photos of
decorative yard lighting systems.
82) Take pictures of your
flower garden and display these photos in your
home.
83) Ensure any hanging
plants cascade neatly and are suspended
unobtrusively.
84) Clean and shine all
accessories (door knobs, knockers, lamps, mail
boxes, address numbers, etc.)
85) Clean, repair and paint
all gutters and downspouts.
86) All roof shingles,
tiles, etc. should be secured or replaced.
If the
roof leaks - FIX IT!
87) Make
sure the garage door opens easily. Fix
and paint the garage door
if necessary.
88) Paint chimney and
replace broken bricks or stones.
89) An investment in
painting your home can really make the difference
between "turning on" the
buyer and sending up a red flag about the
condition of the home.
Some final things you can do
to help your home sell quickly!
90) Arrive at an equitable
asking price using an appraisal.
91) Don't be afraid to
accept the first offer.
92) Never volunteer
information!
93) Obtain a floor plan of
your home if possible.
94) Assemble house records
for buyer perusal.
95) Provide a map of the
area and highlight special interest items.
96) Only consider written
offers by leader-prequalified buyers.
97) Enlist the service of a
professional marketing agent to market your
home in trade magazines,
newspapers, sign brochures, Internet sites,
Virtual Tour, Talking House,etc.