How to Prepare Your Home for Show

Selling your house is a difficult task. Here are a few tips to make your house more presentable when potential buyers come to view your property.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tools
• Paint
• Cleaning Supplies
• Outdoor Maintenance Equipment

1. Time to tweak the hardware. Tighten loose doorknobs, pulls, drawers, cabinets, towel racks, switch plates and outlet covers. Fix loose stair banisters and sticking or squeaky doors and windows. Fix leaky faucets, remove water stains, repair caulking and drywall.

2. Arrange furniture. Be sure to discard or store unused items so each room appears as spacious as possible.

3. Brighten your rooms with fresh paint. White, off-white or beige will make rooms look bigger and lighter. They're also more likely to go with the new buyer's furnishings. (However, I recently spoke to a fellow agent who personally believes white is no longer "in"). If you have wallpaper, consider having it stripped and painting. Wallpaper is a big turn-off to buyers in today's market.

4. Add some sparkle. Clean all your windows and mirrors.

5. Organize a bit. Check closets for neatly arranged clothes and be sure they contain as few items as possible stored overhead and on floors.

6. Leave kitchen counter tops clear. This makes your kitchen appear more clean and spacious.

7. Clean the oven and appliances. Polish all the chrome and the tub, toilets and sinks. Kitchens and bathrooms will be carefully inspected by most buyers.

8. Yes, now is the time to organize on a bigger scale. Go through the basement, attic and garage, and organize them so they appear as spacious, neat and clean as possible. For more information on clearing clutter, go to my article "How to Hogtie Household Clutter" at the link given at the end of this article.

9. Launder draperies and curtains. This will make your window treatments appear brighter and add freshness to the odor of your home.

10. Shampoo carpets and wax floors. Again, great look with a clean aroma.

11. Keep your lawn well-trimmed and edged. Trim shrubs. Remove dead limbs and debris.

12. Plant some extra flowers for color - or put pots of flowers beside the front door.

13. Remove snow from sidewalks, entry way and driveway so it's easy for potential buyers to enter your home.

14. Neatly arrange outdoor items, such as firewood and outdoor furniture.

15. Check surfaces such as siding, window sashes, trim, gutters and shutters. Clean or touch up with paint.

16. Make sure the entry light and doorbell work. Paint, stain or clean the front door if needed.

17. Check the roof for shingles that need replacing.

18. Replace faded house numbers with shiny new ones.

19. If needed, repaint or replace the mailbox.

Resources

• How to Hogtie Household Clutter

[familybuddy]

on 8/15/2008 Great article. I agree on the white walls being out. A neatly decorated home will sell faster and that includes a color scheme.