Buyers buy homes based on emotion – how a home
"feels" to them. Many factors come into play, many that the buyer isn't
even aware of. Buyers buy what they see. Ask your friends and neighbors
to view your home through "buyers eyes" and give you their honest
opinions. In general: cleaner is better, brighter and more open is
better, no odors is better, and neutral colors are best. Make you home
as appealing and uncluttered as the home you would like to buy.
OUTSIDE PREPARATION TIPS:
1. Good "curb appeal" is imperative. If people don't
like your house from the outside, they won't want to
come inside.
2. Make sure your front lawn looks neat and tidy to make
the first impression favorable. Cut the grass and trim
the hedges and shrubs.
3. Plant some extra flowers for color – or just put some
pots beside the front door.
4. Spruce up your landscaping with some fresh plantings.
Even a few items can improve the look of things.
5. Remove all dead limbs and debris. Give the lawn a
fresh raking and the sidewalk and driveway a good
sweeping. Patch any holes.
6. Walk your fence line. Repair broken areas and paint
or stain spots in poor condition.
7. Put away lawn equipment. Arrange outdoor items, such
as firewood or outdoor furniture, neatly.
8. Take a close look at your front door. It's a focal
point and one of the first things your prospects will
examine. If it's faded or shows signs of needing repair,
clean it, stain it, or paint it. While you're at it, do
the same with the back door and garage door.
9. Repainting the entire exterior of your home is a
fairly expensive venture, and really unnecessary unless
the walls have bad blistering or peeling. But you can do
wonders by simply painting window sashes, trim, and
shutters.
10. Replace faded house numbers with shiny new brass
ones.
11. If needed, repaint or replace the mailbox.
12. Clean out debris in your rain gutters. Touch up with
paint if necessary, and realign if crooked.
13. Check the roof for shingles or flashing that need
replacing.
14. Fix any broken windows or screens, and wash them for
a bright, sparkling appearance.
15. Test the entry light and the doorbell. It's the
little things that matter.
16. Haul out any "junk" in your side or backyard.
17. Clean out the garage. The perfect garage contains
only cars – do your best.
INSIDE PREPARATION TIPS:
1. After you've tackled the exterior of your home, head
inside. The goal here is to make everything look more
spacious, more organized, brighter, warm, and homey.
2. No matter what the season, do your spring cleaning.
Clean houses sell a lot easier than dirty ones.
3. About the cheapest way to make rooms seem warmer and
brighter is by buying higher intensity light bulbs,
putting them in every lamp in the house, and then
turning them on. Also always open drapes and angle
blinds to brighten rooms. This gives the house a
friendly glow. Buyers will react positively, and feel
good about your home.
4. Brighten things with fresh paint. White, off-white,
or beige walls make a room look bigger and lighter. And
you can be fairly certain these colors will go with the
new buyer's furnishings. Painting the inside costs very
little, gives a "new" smell, and makes a big difference
in buyer perception, so go ahead and do it.
5. Too much furniture can make a home "feel wrong." So
move out all your excess furniture, especially worn or
outdated furniture, to make rooms seem larger and
uncluttered, and take down pictures that hide walls.
6. Clean out all your closets to make them look bigger.
Store out-of-season clothes in the attic or basement,
and get rid of excess items. Neatly arrange everything
that's left.
7. Have a huge garage sale with all your excess items.
Not only will you be reducing clutter, but you can use
the money you earn to finance your touch-ups. You'll
also be reducing your moving costs.
8. Clean all your windows and mirrors so they sparkle.
9. Arrange the furniture so each room appears as
spacious as possible.