Selling your Home

Buying or Selling Real Estate?
Find out how you can receive Rewards Points by choosing a
Red Carpet® Real Estate Agent.

Preparing Your Home for Sale

Every seller wants their home to sell fast and bring top dollar. It takes hard work and many steps to make that happen.

Today, the home that sells is the home that stands out among similarly priced, competitively financed houses.

Why? It makes a good first impression that lasts right to the settlement table. It's careful planning and knowing how to professionally position your home so that it will send home buyers running for their checkbooks.

Here is how to prepare a house and turn it into an irresistible and highly marketable home.

Before Showing Your Home   

• It's important to have your home in good showing condition before buyers start going through it. Touch up interior and exterior paint as needed. 
  

• Install new carpeting and flooring if it appears worn.

• Make sure the front is clean and spruced up – a trim lawn and well proportioned shrubs all add to the overall appeal. Remove garden hoses, lawn tools, doghouses, and toys from the yard.

• Trim bushes and plants as needed, and make sure the lawn is kept mowed and trimmed. In autumn, rake the leaves; in winter, keep the snow shoveled.

• The front hall is the first impression of what is inside. Aura and atmosphere help to entice the buyer of what is to come. Fix or replace all over head lighting. Replace light bulbs with stronger watts. In the evening make sure that all lights are on around the home, including lamps. Make sure that your doorbell works and home smells fresh and clean.

• Keep the interior clean, uncluttered and odor-free. Eliminate any evidence of pets.

• Minimize personal items such as family photos. You want buyers to see themselves living in the home.

• Consider putting excess furniture and belongings in storage. Now is the time to clean out the garage and basement and sell, give away or throw away items you don't need anymore.

• Consider having a pre-listing inspection performed. Buyers will be hiring professional inspectors - this is your chance to address problems in advance.

• Consider engaging a professional stager to give your home the right emotional appeal.

• When it comes to attracting offers, the kitchen is one of the most important areas. Appliances should be clean and spotless and everything should work. Replace or repair any sticks, drips, or squeaks. Keep cabinets and counter space uncluttered.

• The second most appealing room to a buyer is the master bedroom. Remove all unnecessary furnishings from the room to add to the spacious feeling. Closets should be neat and organized, in order to make them appear larger. 

• Bathroom areas should always appear fresh and clean. Try adding potpourri for scent. Sinks, tubs, showers, floors, tiling and shower curtains should be immaculate.

• When it comes to your garage, the key word is convenience. Make sure the garage is uncluttered and organized. Box up tools that are in the way. Clean any oily stains on the cement. The space should be orderly and tidy. Basement areas should also be organized. Use pegboards to hang tools, and organize items on shelves. Cure damp smells by placing a bag of limestone in the damp area. Clean the water heater outside and change the filter in the furnace. Brighten the basement walls with a coat of light paint.

Showing Your Home: Tips to Remember

• Too many people present during an inspection may make the potential buyer feel like an intruder, making it difficult for the selling broker and buyer to be at ease.

• It's better that you (and your children if you have any) busy yourselves in one part of the house or outside. The broker knows the buyer's desires and can better emphasize your home's features.

• Let the broker and the buyer hear each other. Noise is distracting, so don't have the radio or television on. Quiet is the ideal condition.

• It's better to keep pets out of the house. Buyers may be timid around an unfamiliar animal.

• Chatting with a potential buyer may dilute the broker's ability to present your home's features in the best light. If asked a question, respond honestly, but diplomatically refer questions to the broker.

• The lived-in appearance makes it a home. There's no need to apologize for its appearance. Let the trained broker answer any objections.

• Trying to dispose of furniture and furnishings to the potential buyer has lost many a sale. Wait until after the sale is made.

• Your listing broker is most qualified to bring negotiations to a favorable conclusion. Do not discuss price, terms, possession, or other factors with the potential buyer.