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The real estate market
isn't the only factor that influences your home’s
selling price. A "well-polished" house appeals to
more buyers and will sell faster and for a higher
price.. When preparing your home for sale, remember the
importance of first impressions. Buyers feel more
comfortable purchasing a well-cared for home because if
what they can see is maintained, what they can't see has
probably also been maintained. In readying your
house for sale, consider: |
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How Much Should You
Spend
When you are
preparing your home for the market, spend as little
money as possible. Buyers will be impressed by a brand
new roof, but they aren't likely to give you enough
extra money to pay for it. There is a big difference
between making minor and inexpensive "polishes" and
"touch-ups" to your house, such as putting new knobs on
cabinets and a fresh coat of neutral paint in the living
room, and doing extensive and costly renovations, like
installing a new kitchen.
Curb and Exterior
Appeal
Make a good first
impression. Before putting your house on the market,
take as much time as necessary (and as little money as
possible) to maximize its exterior and interior appeal.
Tips to enhance your home’s exterior and curb appeal:
• Keep the lawn
edged, cut and watered regularly.
• Trim hedges, weed lawns and flowerbeds, and prune
trees regularly.
• Check the foundation, steps, walkways, walls and
patios for cracks and crumbling.
• Paint or least scrub the front door.
• Inspect doors and windows for peeling paint.
• Clean and align gutters.
• Repair and replace loose or damaged roof shingles.
• Repair and repaint loose siding and caulking.
• During spring and summer months add a few showy
annual flowers, perhaps in pots, near your front
entrance.
• Clean oil spots from the driveway.
• Store RVs or old and beat up cars elsewhere while
the house is on the market.
Maximizing Interior
Appeal
• Clean up the
living room, the bathroom, the kitchen. Give every
room in the house a thorough cleaning, as well as
removing all clutter. This alone will make your
house appear bigger and brighter.
• Remove the infrequently used, even daily used
items from kitchen counters, closets, and bedrooms.
This will make these areas much more inviting. Since
you're anticipating a move anyhow, holding a garage
sale at this point is a great idea.
• Make your house “anonymous”. Remove photograph’s
of relatives and Aun’t Mary’s framed needlepoint.
Buyer’s don’t want to see your personal items, they
want to imagine their belongings in the house.
• Consider hiring a professional cleaning service,
once every few weeks while the house is on the
market. This may be a good investment for owners who
are busy.
• If necessary, repainting soiled or strongly
colored walls with a neutral shade of paint, such as
off-white or beige. Flooring can benefit from the
same neutral color scheme if necessary.
• Check for cracks, leaks and signs of dampness in
the attic and basement.
• Repair cracks, holes or damage to plaster,
wallboard, wallpaper, paint, and tiles.
• Replace broken or cracked windowpanes, moldings,
and other woodwork.
• Repair any dripping faucets and showerheads. Put
out showy new towels for the bathroom when
prospective buyers are on the way.
• Spruce up the kitchen by installing new cabinet
knobs, new curtains, or by putting on a coat of
neutral paint.
• Organize closets.
Other Useful Tips
• Think Safety.
Homeowners learn to live with all kinds of self-set
booby traps: roller skates on the stairs, festooned
extension cords, slippery throw rugs and low hanging
overhead lights. Make your residence as non-perilous
as possible for uninitiated visitors.
• Watch Your Pets. Dogs and cats are great
companions, but not when you're showing your home.
Keep the cat and dog safely locked away.
• Make sure you can see. Replace burned out light
bulbs and open up blinds and drapes.
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