What you should know before selling your home
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Preparing your home for sale
Introduction
Preparing your home for sale can be completed in two phases: the first includes modifying it for the market and the second is grooming it for showing.
First Phase: Ready for the Market.
Take as much time as necessary but as little money as possible to maximize appeal. The best way to do this is to walk around your entire home with a notepad while paying careful attention to everything. Check the walls for chips, holes, or uneven paint; fix all leaky faucets and make sure they shine (and consider replacing them if they don't); etc.
Second Phase: Ready for Showing.
You need to make your home sparkle as soon as it is officially "For Sale”. Be sure to concentrate on your kitchen and bathrooms. Buyers will be expecting a used home, but the brighter your home shines the more eager they will be to purchase and move into your property. Box up any items that haven't been used for a while—by boxing up your possessions you will add visual square footage to your home, which will increase its perceived value. Ask a friend or relative to help you out with this, or consider renting a storage space to keep your belongings until you sell.
Un-cluttering your home is very difficult and time-consuming because the house has personality. After years of living in a home, clutter collects without the owner even realizing. Unfortunately the buyer does notice and can be negatively affected by it. Clutter collects on shelves, counter tops, drawers, closets, garages, attics, and basements. Pretend you are walking into your home for the very first time. Or better yet - get an outsider's opinion. Ask a friend to point out clutter. Notice all areas of clutter and begin eliminating it by boxing it and putting it into a storage unit until you move. Now might be a good time for a garage sale. If you were going to get rid of anything before your move anyway, do it now before the house is even shown.
