Seller Suggestions

Cleaning On The Outside

• Water and mow your lawn regularly. A homeowner that takes pride in their house portraits to a buyer that the house is worthy of attention.
• Trim trees, shrubs and plant flowers. Keep lawns clear of leaves and debris, and weed flowerbeds.
• Keep toys, bikes, and misc. out of the yard and out of sight.
• Freshen up paint if necessary – a new coat of paint can really spruce up a home.
• Look at your doors. Place a nice wreath or decoration on the front door to welcome potential buyers. An appealing look on the front of the house has a tremendous impact.
• Clean off front stoops and porches.  Make sure steps are kept clutter free and swept.

Cleaning Up The Inside

• Store, sell or donate unnecessary furniture. The more pieces of furniture in a room, the smaller it may appear. Keeping rooms open and clutter free is more appealing to a perspective buyer.
• Keep closets tidy by neatly hanging clothes, properly storing shoes and organizing small items that may be in the closet. Inexpensive crates, boxes or shelves can do the trick or utilize space in the attic or a garage to store out of season clothes.
• Bathroom check: keep tubs, sinks, floors, tiles, mirrors and toilets sparkling clean.
• Remove carpet stains and clean windows throughout the home. Removing the screens on your house makes it sparkle more from the outside.

Making Repairs – people aren’t interested in things that are broken.

• Replace or repair items such as cabinet pulls, broken hinges, doorknobs or doors.
• In the bathroom, check for leaky toilets, broken or missing tiles and repair if possible.
• Replace all burnt out light bulbs, as buyers will turn on lights to get a good look.
• Touch up paint throughout the house. A quick touchup will hide scuffs of the walls, giving it a cleaner look.
• Major repairs need to be discussed with your agent, such as a leaky roof, water heater that doesn’t work, etc.). Please remember that these defects must be disclosed to potential buyers.

Smells Don’t Belong

• Please refrain from smoking in the home while it’s on the market.
• Keep animal cages and litter boxes clean at all times.
• Empty all trash cans regularly.
• Shampoo carpets or use a carpet deodorizers.
• Fresh smells greatly appeal to buyers and enhance their experience in your home.  Fresh flowers not only look good, the smell good too!
• If time permits, bake a few brownies, cookies or a cake – everyone loves the aroma of fresh baked goodies!
• Finally, have a neighbor, friend or family member walk thru the home. Ask them to inspect it as if they were a potential buyer.  It’s easy to overlook things by mistake so having someone else to take a peek before the buyers arrive, is well worth it!