Ways to Prepare Your Home for Sale

1. Remove your valuables

Remember, in order to increase your home's chance of achieving top dollar, you are going to be subject to general public foot traffic. Easily removed items such as jewelry should not be left in your home in conspicuous places.

2. Remove the clutter

You are going to have to pack sooner or later so you might as well start by packing up items which cause clutter such as: knick knack decorations, excess furniture, etc. A crowded home will appear smaller than it is. Remember less is more. Photos of your family will be distracting to the buyer. The focus should be on the selling points of your home, not your personal items.

3. Control the animals

We all love our pets, but it can be intimidating to a buyer to walk in a home and be harassed by a large barking dog. Many transactions are thwarted by our pets. Remember, it is a huge inconvenience to sell a home, but you could stand to lose thousands of dollars if you don’t control or remove animals from a home during peak showing times. It goes without saying that pet odor will cost you thousands of dollars in sales value.

4. Paint

Most painting is inexpensive and it will go a long way to adding appeal. Remember, while wood paneling may have been great twenty years ago it is not today. Neutral colors are a must. Plain white walls or rooms with dark colors simply don’t attract.

If possible remove older outdated wallpaper and paint for a fresh look.

5. Focus on the front

The term curb appeal has long been used to describe the feeling a buyer develops in the first 5 seconds. If you have bad curb appeal you will have a tough time attracting top dollar buyers. If you have a limited budget, even simple little things like adding colorful flowers to the front yard, or trimming back brush and trees can do wonders.

6. Clean Relentlessly Unclean homes create the impression that the home owner did not keep good care of the property. Buyers then begin to think ‘what else is wrong?’ Make sure you clean the home relentlessly to keep it spotless. Also, nothing turns off a buyer more than a home smelling of animals, cigarettes, or other water damage. If the home is older, you probably will have to replace carpets. If you try and sell a home in this condition you will be placed in the fixer upper category and probably forced to sell at a discount. This is why many new home models display potpourri or vanilla.

Getting Your Home Ready for the Market

Before you put your house on the market, set aside some time to spruce it up and maximize its sales appeal

Prior to listing your house, try to look at things through the eyes of a buyer. Make a list of things that need to be cleaned and repaired and estimate the time, cost and priority of each chore. Take a particularly good look at your bathroom(s) and kitchen. Time and money invested in painting and refurbishing these key rooms will have highest impact.

To-do list for sellers
Prior to showing your house:

• Get rid of clutter on shelves, countertops and closets. Consider packing rarely-used items in boxes and storing them until you move. Make sure you label the boxes, so it is easier to locate later on.
• Put excess furniture and items that are showing wear in storage until you move.
• If needed rearrange the remaining furniture attractively
• Wash and/or paint walls that are dirty or chipped.
• Wash blinds and clean curtains.
• Shampoo carpets.
• Fix leaky faucets and appliances that don’t work.
• Get rid of junk that’s accumulated in your basement and garage.
• Consider having a yard sale so to rid of unnecessary items.

While your house is on the market:

• Keep the house clean – tidy up, vacuum and dust daily, if possible, and do laundry before it piles up.

After your house is sold:

• Make sure you keep everything clean and in good working condition.
• Do any repairs you’ve agreed to look after in the sales contract.

Simple Garden Makeovers to Help Sell Your Home

Curb appeal is important in selling your home. Here are some tips to help sell your home.

Before listing your home for sale, stand back and take a look at what you see. Many potential buyers are going to get their first impression of your home from the moment they step out of their car. So don’t underestimate the importance of your yard when you put your home on the market.

These are some cost efficient simple tricks that can make a dramatic difference:

1. Neatness
It is just as important to de-clutter the outside of your home as it is the inside. Pack any outdoor tools, toys, sports equipment or trash cans out of sight. If you do not have a place to put them, consider investing in a plastic storage shed. You can always take it with you when your home is sold.

2. Mowing
Be sure to keep your lawn neatly mowed while your home is for sale. An unkempt lawn gives the impression that the inside of your house may also be uncared for. Buyers will pay more for a carefully maintained home.

3. Trimming
Trim if overgrown shrubbery is obscuring your house. Large bushes can make your home appear smaller than it actually is. Trim shrubs back to provide a clear view of your house. Also clear greenery away from windows so it won’t cover the sunlight. Rooms with sunshine are more appealing.

4. Weeding
A quick turning of the soil in flowerbeds and around shrubs should bury small offenders and loosen major weeds for easy removal.

5. Planting
Give your home warm, welcoming appeal with some fresh flowers. Plant a few buy ready-made containers to set on either side of your front door.

Want to know more about what I do to sell homes? Contact me today at (626) 456-1911!

I specialize in the cities of Alhambra, Monterey Park, San Gabriel, Rosemead, Temple City, Arcadia, Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, El Monte, Irwindale, Monrovia, Bradbury, Sierra Madre, Duarte, Altadena, La Puente, Covina, Azusa, La Verne, San Dimas, Montclair, Claremont, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights, West Covina, Diamond Bar, Walnut, Chino Hills, and surrounding areas.