Spring has sprung and if you were ever thinking about selling your home, now’s the time. Being that we barely have a nano-second of weather cooperation up here in the north, spring is when the buyers come out in full force thinking about making a move. I can’t tell you the number of appointments I’ve been on in the last three weeks to consult with homeowners about how to get their house ready for the market. Questions range from, “Should I paint?” to “Can I have family photos hanging?” Bottom line, “What’s going to sell my house in the shortest amount of time for the most amount of money?”
It’s a good thing you picked up this magazine, because I have the answers.
First and foremost, you have to get your mindset in the right place or none of these tips are going to work. You must repeat to yourself day in and day out, “I’m going to sell this house, I will do all the work that it entails to get it done, and I will do it now.” Selling your house is a big job, but if done right, you will reap the benefits. You live in your house one way, and you sell your house another. (I didn’t say this would be fun, just keep that reward carrot dangling within reach.)
Let’s start outside, as this is the first impression people get when looking at your home. Some buyers won’t even go into a house if they’re turned off by the exterior.
Exterior – Everything must be clean and fresh. Windows clean. Mailbox standing upright. House number visible. Flowers in every possible nook you find. Green grass. Pruned bushes. Sealed driveway. Deck stained (and exterior of house painted if it’s peeling.) Roof shingles nailed down. All lawn decorations (from those little gnome statues to the garden gazing balls) removed. Backyard patio should be swept, patio furniture clean, cushions out and umbrella up. Adding a new welcome mat at the front door (without words) is a must. The exterior needs to look inviting and should say, “Look at how nice it would be if you lived here!”
Let’s go inside.
Declutter – Get rid of everything. Box it up. You’re moving anyway, right? All toys, photos, books and stuff – gone. Tour a model home and then make yours look like no one lives there. (I didn’t say this was going to be easy either.) Donate what is in good condition and toss the rest. Make your closets look as big as possible, which means putting that winter wardrobe someplace else. It’s okay to stack the boxes in the garage. As far as family photos, one per room is the limit, and it should be in a frame purchased after 2005.
Paint – Fresh paint throughout the whole house. If you’re not good at it, hire someone, because it’ll show. Paint the bedrooms and get rid of any gender specific themes and colors. Say goodbye to Super Heroes and Disney Princesses. As far as the carpet, if you can’t afford to replace, be darn sure it’s spotless, and free of any pet stains or smells (number one reason people walk out as soon as they walk in.) If your house has an odor (a good realtor will tell you), there are services that can deodorize the pet and smoke smells.
Kitchen & Bathrooms – Most important rooms in the house. Must be spotless! Hire a cleaning person if you’re not good at it. Microwave, oven, cupboards, toilets, bathtubs, showers and even the fridge. A buyer will be turned off immediately if these rooms are dirty. Who wants to see last months fondue corroded to the counter? Speaking of countertops – you don’t need to change them unless they are badly stained or beaten up. If you want to offer granite as an included option in your list price, then lay out samples of the granite options and let the buyers pick the color.
Basement – If you can finish the basement with carpet, ceilings and walls, that’ll save the buyer the cost. If you can’t, have some house plans drawn up and taped to the wall to see how the buyer could finish it if they wanted to. Also, be sure to have the basement decluttered, (read: almost empty), so the new buyer can see how they’re family would use it.
One last thing, when you get the phone call that someone wants to see your home, cooperate. Get out your checklist, from leaving the lights on to having some music playing to putting out treats on the counter…all this creates a feeling of “buy me!”
Karin Housley is a published author and realtor in the St. Croix Valley.. Visit her website at KarinHousley.com or contact her at Karin@KarinHousley.com Tune into The Karin Housley Show every Saturday morning at 10:00 on AM 1220 or listen live at KLBBRadio.com.
