Hints for Homeowners: Readying a Home for Sale

(The following was taken from a local real estate guide. I am not a real estate expert or claim to be an expert on the subject, so make your own evaluations in regard to the information provided. Thanks.)

When it comes to selling a home, curb appeal plays a big role. In real estate, it's typical to ignore the old adage "Don't judge a book by it's cover" & keep driving if you see a home for sale that doesn't instantly catch your eye. As important as curb appeal can be, it's no more or less important than what's on the inside of a home. After all, if what's on the inside doesn't match or exceed what's on the outside, chances of a sale are slim. For those about to put their house on the market, consider the following tips for ensuring your home's interior is as appealing as its exterior.

- Store some furniture or bulky items: This is often referred to as "staging" wherein a homeowner removes furniture or other items in an effort to make a home appear more spacious to prospective buyers. It's perfectly legal & commonplace, particularly among sellers who have lived in a house for a long period of time & have years of clutter to account for. Store items with a nearby storage facility. As an added benefit, with some of the bulkier items now gone, it will be easier to clean the interior before each open house.

- Consider repainting: Stronger colours might have appealed to you or your family over the years, but they might be too strong for prospective buyers. Though most buyers will simply repaint anyway, they might be more inclined to consider your house if the stronger coloured walls are repainted with neutral colours, such as beige or white. Also paint over walls where paint has become stained or deteriorated. Not doing so will give the impression that the house was not well taken care of, a big red flag for buyers.

- Remove keepsakes or knick knacks: Much like removing large furniture can make a family room or den seem larger, removing keep sakes & knick knacks from the foyer or kitchen can make those roomes appear more spacious as well. Since you'll be moving out anyway, this isn't a bad way to get a head start on packing.

Clean out the garage: Garages were once primarily used to park cars. However, garages are also used for storage. A cluttered garage won't help sell a house. An empty or clean garage, however, will appear very spacious & stick in a buyer's mind.

- Fix leaky faucets & shower heads: Leaky faucets & shower heads have a way of becoming unnoticeable background noise if you live in a home long enough. This makes them easy to ignore. However to prospective buyers , such leaks & noises will be noticeable immediatley. Fix all leaks before showing your house.

- Replqace old doorknobs & cabinet handles: Some things about a home tend to remain fixed in a buyer's mind more than others. Old cabinet handles or doorknobs that stick out might be nostalgic to a seller, but might mean something entirely different (namely, neglect) to a buyer. Do a run through of all the little things & fixthem up before showing your house.

Want more tips? Check out my other "Hints for Homeowners: Tips For A Successful Self Move" post)