Preparing your house for sale

You've taken a big step and decided to sell your house. Now what do you need to do to? To maximize your home's sale potential, the following tips and ideas will help prepare your house to show its best. Doing so will help attract more buyers for a possible quicker sale.

Like any item for sale, you want your house to be presentable to buyers and show off its strongest features. To do so, take a fresh look at your house through a buyer's eyes. See your residence as a house for sale instead of your family home. This will help you identify its strong points and where it can use some help.

Concentrate on Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is your first chance to entice buyers. Focusing your efforts on the front of your house will assist in grabbing buyers' attention

• Mow, weed and trim your lawn
• Paint or wash your house's exterior
• Wash your windows
• Remove extra vehicles from the driveway
• Repair damaged screens and glass
• Sweep the driveway and walkway
• Remove distracting lawn ornaments
• Repair any fence or gate
• Add a top layer of fresh mulch by trees and landscaping

Create Neutral and Welcoming Living Areas

Your house may fulfill all the criteria potential buyers want, but it still needs to make an emotional connection. Inspire buyers by creating scenarios where they can picture themselves.

• Paint walls a neutral color scheme. White never fails!
• Rearrange furniture in living areas for openness
• Make sure the carpet is spotless and fresh smelling
• Remove stray newspapers and outdated magazines
• Wipe down all light fixtures
• Clean draperies and blinds
• Eliminate excess personal memorabilia
• Play soft music to create a comfortable atmosphere

Highlight the kitchen and the bathrooms

Two key areas that buyers tend to focus on are the kitchen and the bathrooms. A clean kitchen sends positive message, and a beautiful bathroom is compelling.

• Place seldom used small appliances in cupboards
• Wipe down insides of drawers and install dividers
• Deodorize garbage disposal, dishwasher and trash can
• Bake fresh rolls to create a warm welcome, and leave a wonderful smell in the kitchen
• In the bathroom, create a mini-spa with guests soaps, bath oils and thick towels
• Scrub and polish all sinks and tubs
• Purchase a new shower curtain and liner as well as rugs
• Repair missing grout and tiles
• Roll several new towels and place in a basket on the counter

Focus on the bedrooms, and the yard

Turn your attention to the rest of the house. Take a close look at each remaining area of the house. Often overlooked areas can impress potential buyers, setting your house apart.

• Vacuum under beds
• Organize closets
• Place scented candles around the bedroom
• Put scented sachets in closets
• Refresh patios by power washing and give wood decks a boost with a fresh coat of stain
• Place lawn furniture and small tables in conversational groupings outside