50 Tips for Selling Your Home
Use These Tips to Help Move Your Home Quicker
Curb appeal and that vital first twenty seconds or so are a powerful sales tool for selling your home, especially when even a slight edge in today’s market can get you a sale. Emotions do play a part in the purchase of a home. The trick is to make it seem like anyone could live in your house, no matter what their tastes are, and to achieve that goal your home needs to be tidy, clean, and neutral (but certainly not bland) on the outside, as well as in.
Curb Appeal & The Outside
1. Landscaping and a neat lawn (or native plantings), and clean sidewalks will create a good first impression. Rent or use your power washer to clean sidewalks and driveways, as well as the outside of your home if necessary.
2. Fertilize and water your lawn if you have one. It’ll be as emerald green as Ireland in no time at all.
3. Trim trees and shrubs which are overgrown, to let light inside of your house.
4. Paint your house, or at least sand and paint the trim.
5. Lawns and walkways should be swept up and raked.
6. Clean gutters and check roof for any shingles that are missing, or areas that need touch-up paint.
7. Put a few pots of flowers on your porch but don’t block the entrance.
8. Make your front door good, and make sure the hardware matches and you can open the front door without trying too hard.
9. Paint or replace your mailbox. Get rid of those cutesy covers or mailboxes shaped like a cow.
10. Replace the faded doormat with a nice one, but make it neutral.
The Kitchen
11. Strip off any wallpaper or borders and make sure the kitchen and appliances are clean. Clean and tidy up your cabinets.
12. Clean the sink, oven, vent hood and stove top, plus the dishwasher (never leave dirty dishes in it) and refrigerator. De-clutter the fridge as well.
13. Scrub or mop the kitchen floor and make sure the cleaner is appropriate or it’ll streak.
14. Remove the trash can or make sure it’s clean and fresh and not full of stinky garbage.
15. Put away most knick-knacks and countertop appliances to give a clean look and illusion of more space, even if there isn’t.
Bathroom
16. Repair faucets if they’re dripping and if old-fashioned, try and get nice replacement ones.
17. Put some new towels (rolled up) in a basket and remove all others. Remove all toiletries except some spa-like ones.
18. Scrub the toilet (leave the seat down afterwards), tub, tile grout and caulk, and shower.
19. Free up slow drains and make sure the water flows down them.
Living Areas
20. Check all of the drywall in your home and repair chips and dents and then repaint the area if you can match the color.
21. Clean spider webs from nooks and crannies and dust ceiling fans and vents.
22. Paint neutral colors if you painting, but don’t make the whole house beige or all white.
23. Dust blinds and replace curtains and drapes which are worn or faded. The same goes for all bed linens.
24. Fireplaces need to be cleaned and when done, place a few clean logs inside to show.
25. Clean windows inside and out.
26. Repair screens or get new ones.
27. Check that you can open all of your windows and also close them, and that they will latch securely.
28. Check light bulbs and replace and if you use eco-friendly ones, people may be impressed and they know they won’t have to buy them.
29. Check light switches and plugs to make sure they all do what they’re supposed to.
30. Clean all floor surfaces, even in the garage if you can.
31. Clear out extra clothes in all closets and tidy them up. Try and color segregate the clothes and have your hangers facing the same way.
32. Rub paraffin wax on any sticking slider tracks.
33. Put new filters in air return vents and make sure they are dusted.
34. If you have indoor/outdoor animals, make sure they haven’t brought you in any treats from the great outdoors. Check this right before an open house, as well. If you have cat boxes, put them in the garage temporarily (you can always leave the garage door open about 6 inches for the cats).
Garage, Driveway & Attic
35. Start putting all of your extra stuff in a storage locker, or donate, or trash it. Just keep what you need to stage the house, plus use for your day to day.
36. Repair cracks or sloping slabs with ready mix and quick set concrete.
37. Clean oil stains from garage or driveway. Cat litter soaks oil up plus you can clean after that with soap, water, and a scrub brush.
38. Make sure your garage door doesn’t squeak when opened and that the opener has fresh batteries in it.
Showing Your House
39. Turn on all of your lights (unless it looks like an interrogation room) and open curtains and drapes and blinds.
40. When it’s evening, turn on the porch light and pathway and landscaping lights.
41. always make every bed and be sure that all rooms are picked up — your agent may stop by to show when you’re out for a while.
42. Put dirty dishes in the dishwasher and try and wash several times a day if your agent has been showing your home frequently.
43. Always put kids’ toys back in their rooms.
44. Don’t leave radios, TVs or computers on.
45. Don’t be there if you can help it when the agent comes by with a possible client. If you have to be there, hide in your office and don’t bother the group. They’ll say goodbye at the end then you can say thank you and leave it at that. Never follow an agent and clients around.
46. If a client asks you a question, try and turn them back to the agent without seeming rude.
47. Try to have your pets out of sight when customers are walking through your home. Fish are okay.
48. Don’t burn candles as some people are allergic to them. The same goes for plug in air fresheners.
49. Make sure you’ve vacuumed at the last minutes and also swept up dust bunnies.
50. Fresh flowers are okay as a centerpiece on the dining table, but for heaven’s sake, be sure the water is also fresh.